Sharks, penguins and other wonders of Springfield - Dansville-Genesee Country Express

Sharks, penguins and other wonders of Springfield - Dansville-Genesee Country Express

Sharks, penguins and other wonders of Springfield - Dansville-Genesee Country Express

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 07:43 AM PST

Who knew that visitors to this Missouri city could dive with the sharks in the middle of the Ozarks?

Springfield is home to the headquarters for Bass Pro Shops and Johnny Morris Outdoor World, which includes the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.

Outdoor World is like a theme park for hunters, fishers, hikers, bikers and all those who peruse its 500,000 square feet of everything outdoors. Within the store there is a Motorsports Museum offering visitors a chance to see the winning "No. 3" car driven by Dale Earnhardt in the 1998 Daytona 500. A visit to the Archery Hall of Fame brings to light a history of the sport. The NRA National Sporting Arms Museum displays more than 1,000 firearms.

Outdoor World and its museums have become the No. 1 attraction visited in the state. Visitors need a day to spend at the complex.

As travelers walk through the museum and aquarium, they may forget that they are inside a building in Missouri, as they travel around the world. Paths lead visitors through an array of countries and terrains, each different with sights, sounds, smells and temperature levels to match those of each traveled country. The wildlife wonders are state-of-the-art 4D dioramas. The lifelike environments demonstrate how important conservation is to the animal kingdom.

Take an African safari, walking through the savanna mingling with giraffes, elephants, rhinos, zebras and more.

Displays in the wildlife area and aquarium have a Disney-level atmosphere. Many of the exhibits are multi-level displays that come to life through those sights, sounds and smells that include waterfalls, swamps at night, mangroves, shipwrecks and more.

Visiting the aquarium, inquisitive travelers can get up close with the inhabitants of Penguin Cove. The Gentoo penguins are exhibited in two 360-degree "bubbles" that allow for fans to be wrapped in the penguin habitat.

Great Oceans Hall brings the deep secrets of the oceans to life. Upon entering, aquatic travelers are surrounded by a 360-degree aquarium where they can get, as they put it, "eye to eye with exotic wildlife." It is mesmerizing. The tanks are huge, and one includes a shipwreck and a touch tank at the bottom for a close encounter with stingrays.

The Fishing Hall of Fame is in the aquarium/museum as well as a Hall of Fishing Presidents, with pictures of our country's leaders fishing both as adults and children.

Missouri travelers can stand in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia in this state-of-the-art aquarium or just sit and enjoy the beauty of the marine life.

Not the relaxing type? How about an adventure in a metal cage to see the sharks during an Out to Sea Shark Dive? This experience allows guests to get under the water and look the sand tiger sharks, brown sharks and barracuda straight in the eye. Guest have air helmets and are comfortably submerged without the need of a diver certification. Reservations in advance are needed for this tour, and there is an upcharge for the experience. Be sure to read the "what to bring and not bring" if you plan to participate. The information can be found at wondersofwildlife.org/tours-and-experiences/shark-dive.

From the minute you walk in the door of the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium remember to continually look around, below, above and alongside, as there is so much to see and do every second of the adventure.

For more places to stay, eat and visit in Springfield go to springfieldmo.org.

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