America's Best Aquarium For 2025 Is Surprisingly Far From The Coast

While many of America's best aquariums are, naturally, close to the coast — like Florida's The Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, and Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters in Marathon — some are actually nowhere near the water in landlocked states. Take Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, which was crowned as the best aquarium in the United States for 2025 according to USA Today. In fact, the publication has named the museum and aquarium as their top choice every year since 2020, making it hard to argue with this year's selection.

Known as Missouri's "Queen City of the Ozarks," with lots of restaurants and quirky vibes, Springfield is often referred to as the birthplace of Route 66, making it an essential stop on any Midwestern road trip. Interestingly, though, Springfield, and therefore this aquarium, which celebrates all things aquatic, is around 500 miles from the ocean — with the closest stretch of coast being the Gulf of Mexico (renamed the Gulf of America in 2025 by U.S. President Donald Trump). To reach the Atlantic Ocean, you'll have to travel even further. Heading southeast toward Brunswick, in Georgia, it's located around 785 miles away. That's about a 15-hour drive.

Nevertheless, Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium receives plenty of praise from visitors. The aquarium boasts a 4.8-star rating across 16,000 Google reviews, with delighted guests giving positive feedback across the board. Better yet, it's located next to Johnny Morris' original Bass Pro Shops, a 500,000-square-foot shopper's paradise for lovers of outdoor gear.

The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium originally opened in 2001 and operated until 2007 under the name Wonders of Wildlife—American National Fish and Wildlife Museum. However, the property underwent a huge expansion when Johnny Morris took over, reopening in 2017 as the world's biggest immersive wildlife attraction.

Today, ticket prices range between $40 and $55 for adultw, and $24.95 and $50 for children, depending on what day you visit. Covering 350,000 square feet and with over 1.5 miles of walkways and paths that will fascinate and delight the senses, it's even bigger than the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C., which boasts the world's largest natural history collection. 

The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium is currently home to more than 800 species and over 35,000 animals — including sharks, eels, rays, jellyfish, and an abundance of fish. That said, unlike in many aquariums around the world, visitors don't just peruse the tanks and displays here. Rather, guests are plunged directly into the stories of some of the most prolific conservationists in the U.S. through a series of immersive exhibits and galleries where you can travel back in time to learn about conservation history. Meanwhile, the more adventurous can dive into an underwater adventure at the aquarium's Shark Dive, where, with the help of state-of-the-art air helmets, visitors can come up close with sharks, barracuda, and other animals without the need for a diver certification.