“The beautiful White River in the Ozark Mountains where Johnny Morris grew up with his mom and dad.  It was the birthplace of Bass Pro Shops.”

These rich and relatable words are written in the most gorgeous watercolor as you enter the exquisite new project of Johnny Morris.  The Wonders of Wildlife, properly coined WOW, is a five star field trip no doubt.  Like all of Johnny’s creations, from Bass Pro to Big Cedar, Dogwood Canyon to the now famous Wonders of Wildlife, it just keeps getting better.  The WOW National Museum was recently recognized as America’s Best Aquarium and Best New Attraction!  A well deserved honor.

The museum and aquarium first opened in the fall and we we’re so excited we took a field day to see it right away.  It’s an immense property so we decided only to do the museum and wildlife galleries on our first visit.  We recently went back again to follow up and see the aquarium side as well.  Now that we’ve adventured through it all we wanted to share how special it is with you and encourage you to visit too!

We easily spent 3 hours at each trip so you might consider breaking it up as we did, or it will make for quite a big day.  There is so much to see and revel at that my husband and I have decided to go back soon on a date night to take our time reading into more of the details that we missed trekking through with three littles.  The beauty and information is overwhelming.  It’s truly a place you will want to return time and time again.

The kids were in awe too, they weren’t expecting to see so many magnificent and interesting animals both in gallery and live form.  It’s like the Disney World of the Outdoors.  With every step you take your senses are triggered with excitement and anticipation.  Their favorite part was getting to touch several living creatures in the aquarium.  I was amazed at how hands on it was and how both adults and children were hosted so well.

My favorite part was simply seeing my home and heartland being represented so well.  I love Johnny Morris’ vision for extending the Ozark beauty to others and inspiring us to explore the outdoors and enjoy family togetherness.  To me, you just can’t beat that.

It’s the perfect family fun day, but so much more is even offered!  Wonders is all about sharing the story of conservation and the beauty of nature.  They work with many wildlife management teams to promote education and offer a variety of programs to engage students and families in experiences that they call EDventures!  There are homeschool groups and classes, summer camps, and even birthday party packages! You can find all the details and more on the website here.

I hope you have the chance to go on a field trip and get wowed at WOW.

Live For The Most

xx – kc