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Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, Springfield, MO

Photo: Robert Lawton, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

AttractionsFamily FavoriteRainy-Day Pick

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium

500 W Sunshine St · Springfield, MO

Why you should go…

Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, built this 350,000-square-foot museum and aquarium beside the company's flagship store. The aquarium side holds 1.5 million gallons of water and about 35,000 animals, in settings that include an ocean shipwreck, a Louisiana swamp, an Ozark forest and the Amazon rainforest. The Wildlife Galleries place mounted animals in detailed habitat dioramas from around the world. The expanded attraction opened in 2017.

  • #aquarium
  • #wildlife museum
  • #natural history
  • #bass pro shops
  • #indoor attraction

Good to know

General attractions guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Book the time slot, not just the ticket

    Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.

  • Grab the daily schedule on arrival

    Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.

  • The first hour is the quietest

    Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.

  • Budget past the ticket price

    Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Shopping
    Free

    Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World

    Free

    Wander the original Bass Pro Shops store with its aquariums, indoor swamp, waterfalls and free museums of outdoor history.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sightseeing
    Family Favorite

    Springfield

    Free

    Missouri's third-largest city, birthplace of Route 66 and home to a flagship Bass Pro Shops.

    1.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Family Favorite

    Branson

    Free

    Ozark Mountains entertainment town packed with live-music theatres, lakes, and family attractions.

    35 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Silver Dollar City

    $50+

    Ride roller coasters, watch craftspeople at work and tour Marvel Cave at this 1880s Ozarks theme park.

    36 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Bigfoot Fun Park

    $25–$50

    Branson's Bigfoot-themed corner of the strip, with a free-fall tower, a giant slingshot, and an off-road discovery ride.

    37 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Fritz's Adventure

    $25–$50

    Indoor and outdoor adventure park in Branson with ziplines, ropes courses, climbing walls and slides.

    37 mi awayMore like this