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All the United States Missouri Springfield Wonders of Wildlife Museum

Wonders of Wildlife Museum

An unexpected but incredible collection of wildlife dioramas spanning rainforests, swamps, forests, and plains.

Springfield, Missouri

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Lew Blank
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Exterior of the Wonders of Wildlife Museum   Courtesy of Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Elephants in the Great African Hall   Courtesy of Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Great Oceans Hall   Courtesy of Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Muskox and wolves   Courtesy of Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Closeup of sheep   Courtesy of Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Bait ball and shark   Courtesy of Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Africa after dark   Courtesy of Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Austin Dillons 2014 Daytona crash car.   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
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Located right next door to the massive Bass Pro Shops headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, you'll find one of the world's largest exhibitions of wild animals and their habitats. The Wonders of Wildlife Museum was created to commemorate the history of conservation in America, from Native Americans to Lewis and Clark to Teddy Roosevelt to the present day. The end result is a unique emporium of flora and fauna, with the Amazon Rainforest, the Himalayan Mountains, and the Great Plains all under one roof.

Founded by Johnny Morris, a self-described “Walt Disney of the Outdoors,” the museum covers 350,000 square feet and features 1.5 miles of trails that weave through an elaborate array of natural landscapes. One of the most incredible exhibits is the 4-dimensional natural dioramas with hand-painted backgrounds and taxidermy animals like elephants, lions, crocodiles, bears, bison, and dozens of sheep.

Just as stunning are the live animals that can be found throughout the museum, including live bats and humongous aquariums with over 800 species of fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. The museum is also home to the National Archery Hall of Fame and National Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, as well as historic fishing boats once owned by Jimmy Buffett, Ernest Hemingway, and Zane Grey.

Related Tags

Taxidermy Nature Aquariums Animals Museums

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Added By

lewblank

Edited By

Darrell Powers, barryjanderson23

  • Darrell Powers
  • barryjanderson23

Published

April 3, 2018

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Sources
  • http://www.wondersofwildlife.org/
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2018/02/24/wonders-wildlife-springfield-missouri/369172002/
  • http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-wonders-of-wildlife-1022-story.html
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/30/bass-pro-shops-just-opened-a-mega-wildlife-attraction-and-cnbc-got-a-look-inside.html
  • http://www.stltoday.com/travel/massive-wildlife-museum-and-aquarium-opens-in-springfield-mo/article_421375d8-0e5c-5d7b-a030-942c8a59cbd8.html
Wonders of Wildlife Museum
500 W Sunshine St
Springfield, Missouri
United States
37.181474, -93.296386
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