Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium
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| Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium | |
| Date opened | November 1, 2001 |
| Location | Springfield, Missouri, USA |
| # of Species | 225 |
| Accreditations/ Memberships |
AZA |
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The American National Fish and Wildlife Museum doing business as Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium also known as Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium or just Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri, showcases more than 225 species of live animals, fresh and saltwater aquariums, interactive displays and educational programs. Wonders of Wildlife opened on November 1, 2001.
Wonders of Wildlife is a result of intensive lobbying campaign and financial support of John Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops. He campaigned and lobbied for the ballot initiative that funded the $52,000,000.00 cost of building the museum and the creation of a "museum district" that allows a special sales tax be collected at Bass Pro Shops and a small shoe store across from Bass Pro Shops to fund the project.
Wonders of Wildlife has had a tough beginning in its 5 short years of existence. After three rounds of layoffs within its first two years, four different executive directors, three recreations of its name and logo and a failed attempt at introducing an IMAX theater on its campus, people within its hometown of Springfield, MO are beginning to wonder if passing the ballot initiative that enabled a sales tax to be collected at the neighboring Bass Pro Shops was really worth the hype. Several times in the museums first five years John Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, has had to bail the museum out of financial dire straits using very large donations from some of the corporations he has involvement in. These corporations include; Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine and Mercury Marine Outboards.
Wonders of Wildlife still seems to be limping along with frequent upper-management staffing changes and very little events or changes in exhibits. However it has become increasingly reclusive and has gone almost three years not releasing any attendance or financial reports to the media after being fairly transparent up until the restructuring of its bonds in 2003.
The museum features mostly Missouri native species but boasts of its saltwater aquarium that houses sharks, stingrays and various other tropical fish species. A visit to Wonders of Wildlife will cost the typical family around $30.00 and two hours of your time to tour.
In 2004 John Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, donated the second floor of his Bass Pro Shops Headquarters in Springfield, MO and a very large taxidermy collection to the Wonders of Wildlife museum. The taxidermy collection stayed at the Pro Shop and a visitor can tour it for a fee. The donation of the collection and a piece of a "for-profit" business has been said to be blurring the lines between the non-profit Wonders of Wildlife and incorporated Bass Pro Shops causing some to question John Morris' motives and wondering if Wonders of Wildlife is being used for the benefit of the Pro Shop. This fine line is a major rub with some of the citizens of Springfield because tax money went to fund the building of the museum and it is beginning to appear that Mr. Morris is reaping the benefits instead of the taxpayers.
[edit] External links
- http://www.wondersofwildlife.org
- http://www.basspro.com – Bass Pro Shops
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