At Wonders of Wildlife we believe in inspiring the next generation of conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts. Our dedicated team of designers have worked diligently to bring education elements to each of our immersive galleries, through videos, dioramas, and more.
Field Trips
*Includes both the Aquarium and Wildlife Galleries tours, allowing for a break in between
Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium is one of the largest, most immersive conservation attractions in the world. WOW consists of an all-new 1.5-million-gallon aquarium adventure and immersive wildlife museum that brings visitors eye-to-eye with the greatest collection of record-setting game animals ever assembled. The 350,000 sq foot experience celebrates the critical role responsible hunting and fishing plays in wildlife conservation and inspires visitors to enjoy, love and conserve the great outdoors.
Dive into a world-class aquarium adventure featuring 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles and birds in an immersive journey through the world’s underwater habitats including colorful coral reefs, tropical coasts, freshwater swamps, steamy rain forests and more.
Go eye-to-eye with wildlife and discover the greatest collection of record-setting big game animals ever assembled. Completely immersive Wildlife Galleries transport visitors to the wildest places on Earth through meticulously recreated 4-D dioramas that include the realistic sights, sounds and smells of awe-inspiring habitats from North America, Africa and the Arctic.
If you love Wonders of Wildlife and want to experience it in a new way, then going behind the scenes is a must! You’ll join one of our talented team members and take a peek at our back of house areas and the equipment that keeps the clean, clear water flowing into our aquatic habitats. Learn about water chemistry, veterinary care, diet calculation, and filtration practices as you get off the beaten path and find out what it takes to run a world-class aquarium. Explore the fantastic views enjoyed by our staff and be inspired!
Non-Peak Pricing |
Peak Pricing |
Behind the Scenes Tour | |
Student | $12 | $18 | $15* |
Chaperone* | $12 | $18 | $15* |
Additional Chaperone | $25 | $25 | Not Available |
*One chaperone is required for every 8 students.
*Item may be discounted when paired with a Wonders of Wildlife tour.
Important Information
• All tours are self-guided.
• Wonders of Wildlife is a linear experience. Once you enter the Wildlife Galleries you will not be able to exit your tour until the Wildlife Gallery portion is complete. Likewise, once you enter the Aquarium Experience, you will not be able to exit until ending the tour at the gift shop.
• Wonders of Wildlife is a flash free facility.
Select groups may qualify for financial aid. For more information click here.
A live animal program is a great add-on to an Aquarium or Wildlife Gallery experience. Groups may also schedule a live animal program as a stand-alone field trip option. Due to time constraints these programs are not available in conjunction with the full Wonders of Wildlife tour.
Meet some of the WOW Animal Ambassadors and introduce or expand your students’ knowledge with hands-on activity stations. This program is designed to meet the Missouri curriculum standards and you will choose your topic based on your students’ grade.
Kindergarten – Staying Alive: All living things need food, water, and shelter to survive. Get up close and personal with some of our animal ambassadors as we learn about the many things plants, animals, and even YOU need to survive!
1st Grade – Growing Pains: All living things go through a life cycle. Some animals look just like their parents while others do not. Come learn and explore the many similarities and differences between young plants and animals and their parents!
2nd Grade – National Parks: National Parks are some of the United States greatest treasures. We will learn about some of our most popular national parks, who influenced the creation of national parks, and meet some animals that live there!
3rd – 4th Grade – Creature Features: Ever wonder how animals survive in freezing cold temperatures or scorching hot temperatures? Animals look and behave in different ways which help them survive in extremely different environments. Meet some of our animal ambassadors and learn about their extraordinary adaptations and extreme senses!
5th – 8th Grade – Pass the Energy: Patterns of energy exist in all types of ecosystems. Each living thing is linked up and has a purpose. Learn about how energy is passed through different organisms that live right here in the Ozarks!
9th – 12th Grade – Dynamic Ecosystems/Ecology: Ecosystems around the globe are delicately balanced and can be disrupted by many different factors. This program offers high school students a look into the study of ecology through live animal encounters and in depth activities.
1st – 5th Grade – Discovering Nature with Lewis and Clark: In a time without telephones and internet, explorers used journals to document what plants, animals and geological wonders they discovered. Learn about the many contributions Lewis and Clark made as they explored the new territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.
1st – 5th Grade – Show Me Wildlife: The forests, caves, prairies and rivers of Missouri host some of the worlds most diverse wildlife. Take a trip through Missouri’s habitats and discover some of the animals that live in the Show Me State.
All living things need four basic things to survive, food, water, shelter, and space. During this program, students will get up close and personal with our WOW animal ambassadors as we learn about what animals need to survive and how they thrive in certain habitats using unique adaptations.
At this time, we are unable to offer indoor lunch space for large field trip groups. Please plan to eat lunch outdoors on the front lawn near the marlin fountain. There is also a small covered porch to the left of the main entrance of the aquarium that is first come first served. Please stay clear of all doors including the employee entrance. In the case of cold or rainy weather please make arrangements to eat off campus or on your bus. Thank you for understanding and we hope to be able to offer indoor lunch space in the future.
Wonders of Wildlife will accept cash, credit card, check or purchase orders for education groups.
Please allow a minimum of 72 hours for your request to process. Approval time may take longer based on the volume of requests. Requests will be processed in the order in which they are received. Please add fieldtrips@wondersofwildlife.org to your email contacts to be sure your email confirmation is received.
Wonders of Wildlife will provide a complementary planning ticket to be used 1-2 weeks prior to a confirmed field trip. Please use this ticket to tour the facility and identify specific galleries and exhibits you would like your students and chaperones to focus on. You may also use this time to create custom scavenger hunts for your group.
To redeem your teacher planning ticket(s), please email fieldtrips@wondersofwildlife.org with the following information:
Please note: Teachers redeeming the planning ticket will be asked to present a valid school ID at the ticket counter.
We are excited about your visit to Wonders of Wildlife. Please help us by showing the following video to your students and chaperones. This will help maximize your students’ experience as well as protect our animals and facility.
Share the Plan: We encourage you to share the itinerary with your students. When students understand what to expect they are less likely to stress, and more likely to learn.
Provide Purpose: Introduce the field trip as part of a lesson. Identify key galleries, or activities that you would like them to observe and participate in.
Ensure Comfort: Students should wear weather appropriate clothing and closed toed shoes. Remember, the floor may be wet from splashing animals.
Introduce Vocabulary: Before your field trip introduce your students to words and ideas that may confuse them.
Make it Fun: Wonders of Wildlife offers a variety of hands on opportunities with animals. Be sure to make them aware so they don’t miss out!
Encourage Safe Exploration: There are many opportunities for crawling and interacting with animals at WOW. Students should obey all posted signage and refer to a staff member when necessary.
Share the Plan: We encourage you to share the itinerary with your chaperones. Include: school arrival time, meeting location, bus departure time, travel time to WOW, meeting location, entry time, lunch location, departure time.
Introduce Students to Their Chaperone and Provide Name Tags: Please have your students broken into their groups prior to arriving at WOW. It’s a great idea to introduce your chaperone to their students in advance so that students and chaperones are clear on who is in their group. It’s also great to provide each person with a name tag.
Review The WOW Code: It’s important that chaperones understand what the student behavior expectations are while here at WOW. Shoot them an e-mail with a link to the WOW Code video as well as any other expectations you have of your own.
Engage Students: If you are visiting to introduce or expand upon a lesson you are learning in your classroom, prepare your chaperones to engage your students in those topics. Advise your chaperones on the galleries you want them to focus on and provide a vocabulary list.
For important information about arriving at Wonders of Wildlife, please watch this video. Be sure to share this video with your bus drivers and chaperones!
