Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium set to celebrate Sept. 21 grand opening Springfield Bass Pro
<p class="p1">Ozark Countians and others across the state who have been anticipating the opening of the new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield don’t have to wait much longer. Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops and a leading conservationist, recently announced that the grand opening celebration will be held Sept. 21, to coincide with National Hunting & Fishing Day. </p><p class="p1">“I am proud and excited that this special facility dedicated to those who love the outdoors will open in the heart of America in our hometown, Springfield, Missouri,” Morris said in a news release. “We are deeply grateful to the many remarkably talented individuals and world-class conservation organizations that have come together for the past nine years to help make this vision a reality. It is our shared hope that the tremendous investment of time, energy and resources will have a profound, positive long-term impact on the future of hunting, fishing and conservation in America.” </p><p class="p1">Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium will be the largest, most immersive fish and wildlife attraction in the world, according to the announcement, which says Wonders of Wildlife will consist of an all-new 1.5-million-gallon aquarium and adjoining facility showcasing 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles and birds. The immersive wildlife museum is designed to bring visitors eye-to-eye with the greatest collection of record-setting game animals ever assembled, according to the news release. Located adjacent to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters on South Campbell Avenue in Springfield, the 320,000-square-foot structure “celebrates people who hunt, fish and act as stewards of the land and water.” </p><p class="p1">In conjunction with the grand opening, a national conservation summit will highlight a series of celebrations and commemorative events with leading conservation partners, special guests and dignitaries from across the nation. Morris said the events will honor the positive role hunters and anglers play in wildlife conservation and help inspire the next generation of outdoor stewards. </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3"><strong>Historic Date </strong></p><p class="p1">National Hunting and Fishing Day honors grassroots efforts to promote conservation. More than a century ago, hunters and anglers were the earliest and most vocal supporters of conservation and scientific wildlife management, Morris said. Recognizing that rapid development and unregulated uses of wildlife were threatening the future of many species, sportsmen and women called for laws restricting commercial harvest; hunting and fishing licenses, and taxes on sporting equipment to fund state conservation agencies. The movement, led by notable sportsman President Theodore Roosevelt, soon helped populations of North American wildlife species recover including white-tailed deer, elk, antelope, wild turkey, wood ducks and many more. </p><p class="p1">The museum and aquarium’s grand opening also coincides with several significant conservation landmarks in September, including the 80th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt’s signing of legislation establishing an excise tax on firearms and ammunition to fund wildlife conservation. Referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act, this little-known bill has generated billions of dollars from sportsmen and women to fund vital state wildlife conservation activities. It also marks the 80th anniversary of Ducks Unlimited, a key museum partner. In addition, September 2017 is the 211th anniversary of the completion of the historic Lewis and Clark expedition, which will be one of many milestones featured inside Wonders of Wildlife. </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3"><strong>Additional details to be unveiled soon </strong></p><p class="p1">Officials say they will share more details about Wonders of Wildlifeas the grand opening nears. For more information visit <a href="http://www.wondersofwildlife.org/">www.wondersofwildlife.org</a>. </p>
<p>The all-new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium has scheduled its grand opening celebration for Sept. 21 at its location adjacent to Bass Pro Shops on South Campbell Avenue in Springfield. </p>
