What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/925539
JANUARY 14-20, 2018 WHAT'S UP! 9 Morris spent nearly 10 years and an undisclosed amount of money to build Wonders of Wildlife, which boasts a 1.5 million gallon aquarium — with some 35,000 live fish, reptiles, mammals, amphibians and birds representing more than 800 species — set in the midst of 350,000 square feet of immersive habitats from the Arctic to the Alps to Africa. Younger visitors can walk into the middle of the ocean and watch sharks swim around them, touch stingray at the Shipwreck Reef and pop up in viewing bubbles in the middle of neon tetras, piranhas and more. Older visitors might get excited about a "collection of boats fishing legends were made on," along with historical boats used by musicians Jimmy Buffet, literary legend Ernest Hemingway and western author Zane Grey. More than a mile and a half of trails wander through the exhibits — traversing tropical coasts, steamy rain forests, freshwater swamps and more — and some 40 leading conservation organizations — among them the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, Audubon, Ducks Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation, Native American Fish and Wildlife Society and the U.S. Forest Service — contributed to the finished product, located next door to the Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters on Sunshine Street. Stephenson calls Springfield "America's conservation capital" and says "Missouri's Ozark Mountains are emerging as the ultimate destination for everyone who loves the outdoors." "The museum and aquarium pay homage to the sportsmen and women of yesterday, today and tomorrow with the knowledge that the surest way to preserve our rich outdoor heritage is to expose more people to its awe-inspiring beauty," Stephenson says. FAQ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium WHEN — 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily (some days will end at 5 p.m., depending on the season) WHERE — 500 W. Sunshine St. in Springfield, Mo. COST — $23.95-$39.95 for everything; $19.95-$29.95 for the aquarium; $9.95-$14.95 for the wildlife galleries INFO — 888-222-6060 or email info@wondersofwildlife.org FYI WOW No. 1 Wonders of Wildlife was voted America's Best New Attrac- tion for 2017 in a poll released this month by USA Today. Immersive habitats bring visitors face to face with lifelike animals, like these musk ox captured under the Northern Lights. Sheep Mountain (above) includes mounts of more than 40 record- setting sheep from around the world, the personal collection of avid adventurer Arthur Dubbs. Visitors to Wonders of Wildlife can also pop up in the middle of a school of piranha (right).