Sponsored by: The Pope & Young Club
The Pope and Young Club was honored to participate in the grand opening celebration of the Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri on Wednesday, September 20th. Attending the grand opening, as Pope and Young Club representatives were, Harv Ebers, Pope and Young Club’s last living founding member and Doug Clayton, one of Pope and Young Club’s longest-tenured Board members.
“Larger than the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, this 350,000-square foot museum is a tribute to Native Americans, who were here before us. It is also a tribute to explorers, outdoorsmen, and conservationists who helped preserve our country’s rich outdoor heritage for future generations of Americans to enjoy,” said Doug Clayton, Pope and Young Club Board member. “You will encounter habitats ranging from desert, mountain, arctic environments, to deepest Africa, 35,000 live fish, mammals, birds and other wildlife while walking the 1.5 miles of trails. The museum is truly a destination for every person who enjoys the outdoors and wants to pass on the message that sportsmen and women are the greatest conservationists.”
L/R: Harv Ebers, John Paul Morris, Johnny Morris and Doug Clayton.
The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, located next to the Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters at 500 W. Sunshine St. in Springfield, Missouri, houses massive dioramas and an impressive collection of fish and wildlife. The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium will also be home to both the fishing and archery halls of fame. A centerpiece of the museum is the 1.5 million gallon aquarium that is home to 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, and birds, representing 700 species.
The museum brings visitors eye-to-eye with the greatest collection of record-setting game animals ever assembled. In addition to 70,000 square feet of wildlife galleries and dioramas, the museum is home to the Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns. The museum also houses the International Game Fish Association Fishing Hall of Fame, the National Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, the National Rifle Association’s National Sporting Arms Museum and the National Archery Hall of Fame. For more information on the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium.
The Pope and Young Club is a non-profit North American conservation and bowhunting organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of bowhunting by striving to increase awareness and appreciation of bowhunting foundations, principles and values. The Pope and Young Club is focused on Fair Chase hunting ethics that support the ethical pursuit of free-ranging, wild game animals without unfair advantage while promoting the conservation of both habitat and wildlife. The Club also maintains the universally recognized repository of records and statistics on North American big game animals harvested with a bow and arrow.
For more information please contact the Pope & Young Club at Box 548, Chatfield, MN 55923. Phone: 507-867-4144. Contact e-mail: admin@pope-young.org.
