Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World — Original Store

The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Original Store in Springfield, Missouri is the flagship location of the national outdoor retail chain, founded by Johnny Morris in 1972 in the back of his father's liquor store in this same city. Today the Springfield store occupies more than 500,000 square feet — making it one of the largest retail stores in the United States — and functions as much as a tourist attraction as a sporting goods retailer. The interior is designed around a mountain-themed environment with a soaring atrium containing taxidermied wildlife displays — including full-mounted elk, bears, mountain lions, and waterfowl — in naturalistic diorama scenes that extend from floor to ceiling. A 64,000-gallon freshwater aquarium stocked with native Missouri and Ozark fish species anchors the center of the store, providing an eye-level view of largemouth bass, catfish, paddlefish, and gar in a recreated river-bottom habitat. The store includes a shooting range, bow range, fudge shop, Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe restaurant, a barber shop, and a Conservation Hall that traces the history of the American conservation movement. Bass Pro Shops has invested in genuine wildlife programming at the site — the aquarium features regular feeding events that draw observers year-round. The store is approximately 3 miles from Springfield-Branson National Airport and serves as a popular pre-flight stop for hunting and fishing gear. Guided fishing and hunting trips can be booked through the store's outfitter desk. Weekend visits are significantly busier than weekdays, particularly the aquarium and wildlife display sections which attract non-shopping visitors.