Since it first opened its doors last summer, the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum at the Bass Pro Shops flagship superstore in Springfield, Mo. has attracted more than 263,200 guests with its impressive collection of sporting arms. Not only do individuals visit the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum, but it’s become a populardestination for groups as well. Recently, approximately 50 members of the National Congress of Old West Shootists visited the museum as part of their national convention. Post conference surveys showed the tour of the museum was a 
conference highlight for the attendees, who hailed from 10 states.
“The museum was quite impressive,” said Jim Downing, a member of the National Congress of Old West Shootists and noted gun engraver from Springfield, Mo. “It was as elegant as can be. Everyone talks about the bannister leading to the museum entrance, but the quality of the woodwork and the displays were also first rate. And the firearms collections were beyond expectations. I plan to go back and spend a lot more time at each case. I love to see the quality of the engraving from the great masters.”
The NRA National Sporting Arms Museum houses an important collection including the firearms owned by U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland and Dwight D. Eisenhower, the flintlock fowlers of English kings, guns of Annie Oakley as well as dioramas that trace the evolution of hunting, conservation and freedom. In total, the museum features more than a thousand sporting arms from the 1600s to modern day.
While all artifacts at the museum are incredible, the docents have noticed some displays are extremely popular with visitors. The following lists highlight museum guests’ favorite exhibits.
Top Large-Exhibit Cases
1. U.S. Martial Pistols
2. Timeline of American Sporting Arms
3. 21 Gun Salute to the American Armed Forces (2nd Amendment Gallery flag case)
4. Pachmayr Foundation Collection of Exceptional Custom Arms
5. Remington Factory Collection
Top Individual Artifacts
1. Girardoni Air Rifle, as used by Lewis & Clark
2. Holland & Holland .700 Nitro Express
3. Napoleon’s Flintlock Fowler
4. Tom Selleck’s Quigley Sharps
5. John Wayne’s Colt
Top Jewel Case Exhibits (smaller cases that highlight significant artifacts)
1. Napoleon’s Flintlock Fowler
2. .700 Holland & Holland Nitro Express
3. & 4. (Tie) Lawmen & Outlaws of the Old West; .600 Holland & Holland Nitro Express
5. Annie Oakley firearms
The NRA National Sporting Arms Museum had its beginnings when Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, visited the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Va. Awed by the collection, Morris wanted to bring this artistry and history of sporting arms to the heartland of America where millions more people could see it. Sharing the museum’s artifacts with a wider audience was a goal NRA was happy to embrace. With a commitment to sharing sporting arms history, Bass Pro Shops offered its resources to help create the National Sporting Arms Museum. Bass Pro Shops donated the space and designed and built the 7,500-square-foot museum while NRA provided the firearms, text and storylines for the exhibits.
Visitors can see this one-of-a-kind collection by visiting the NRA National Sporting Arms museum, which is located at 1935 S. Campbell in Springfield, Mo. The museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and admission is free. For more information about the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum, visit http://www.basspro.com/nramuseum or http://nramuseum.com/.
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops®, which specializes in outdoor fun, operates 85 retail stores and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada that are visited by more than 116 million people every year. Bass Pro Shops stores, many of which feature restaurants, offer hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor gear while their catalogs and website serve shoppers throughout the world. The company’s Tracker Marine Group® (http://www.trackermarine.com), which has produced the number one selling brand of fishing boats for more than 35 years, manufactures and sells a variety of boats for fishing and cruising. Family fun is on tap at Bass Pro Shops resort Big Cedar Lodge® (http://www.bigcedar.com), voted number six by Travel + Leisure Magazine as World’s Best Hotels for Families. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog, call 1-800-BASS PRO. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bassproshops.
About the National Rifle Association
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Five million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and is the leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. For more on the NRA, visit their website at programs.nra.org.