City: Springfield, MO

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (417) 890-9453, (877) 245-9453

Address: 500 West Sunshine St.

Description: Next door to Bass Pro, and officially named the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum, Wonders of Wildlife is an exciting, educational experience on the past, present, and future benefits of wildlife conservation. The 92,000-square-foot museum has 160 species of live animals in realistic habitats. Children can test their strength against that of a bald eagle; come face-to-face with river otters, bobcats, and beavers; walk through the digestive system of a 32-foot largemouth bass (now that’s a lunker!); and hook their own blue marlin on an interactive video simulator. They can enter a replica of an Ozarks cave (complete with bats), see real wild turkeys that roam the lower level of the museum, walk a swinging rope bridge, and marvel at the 19-foot waterfall flowing in the 140,000-gallon community pond. You can see lots of the same things in the real outdoors of the Ozarks, but it might take lots longer. The WOW Museum is currently closed for renovations and expansion, so be certain to call to see if it has opened before making the trip to Springfield.