Iowas Next Great Adventure Awaits At New Bass Pro Shops Outdoors Store
Thursday, July 30th, 2009 at 12:35 PMIowa’s Next Great Adventure Awaits At New Bass Pro Shops Outdoors Store
Altoona is home to Bass Pro Shops 2nd Outdoor World in Iowa.
Bass Pro Shops
Altoona, Iowa – -(AmmoLand.com)- Iowa, set in what is known as America’s Heartland, is known for its Midwestern charm, down-home values and warm hospitality. True to its outdoor traditions, Iowa is host to many wonderful opportunities and attractions. But for outdoor sports enthusiasts, their next adventure starts at the new Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World opening in late August in Altoona.
The 145,000-square foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Iowa’s second, is located at the southeast corner of the I-80 and Hwy 65 by-pass. While you’ll find a huge selection of outdoor gear, Bass Pro Shops stores are also part museum, art gallery, antique store, aquarium, education, conservation and entertainment center. The Grand Opening is set for Thursday, August 27th but a special “Evening for Conservation” to help benefit area conservation groups will be held on Wednesday night, August 26th beginning at 6 PM. This exciting, celebrity-packed event is free and open to the public.
The entire store is a tribute to the vast diversity of the Iowa landscape, its history and the culture of its people and, like other Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World stores, takes on the flavor and atmosphere of the region in which it is located. Using more than 3,500 area artifacts, antiques, pictures, mounts and memorabilia, the store becomes a living museum of Iowa’s hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor legacies.
Hand-painted murals from renowned artists such as Robert Sopchick depict scenes of the Iowa countryside from the Middle Raccoon River with its scenic limestone rock outcroppings, to the wetlands area depicting waterfowl landing, and the vast agricultural fields edged by woods from which deer peer out.
Tallgrass prairies and savanna, rolling hills and river valleys are all beautifully replicated by artists’ brushes–many reminiscent of Karl Bodmer’s style. State and record wildlife mounts are displayed alongside local period prints depicting early Iowans enjoying sporting adventures.
Massive log and rock work frame the Grand Entrance and protects visitors from inclement weather. Inside, rustic wood floors, antique pine wall finishes, and vaulted post and beam construction ceiling make up the front lobby which resembles an old hunting lodge. A fire crackles in the large stone fireplace complete with a handcrafted metal screen featuring a pheasant sitting on the metal rim of an old wagon wheel that is resting against a fence row. A two-story old ‘Western lodge hotel’ is above the Customer Service counter areas. Two giant oxen, essential in early Iowa agricultural efforts, along with an archway of antler sheds and horns complete the entryway.
Giant, exquisitely crafted outdoor themed chandeliers, made by Bass Pro Shops’ own artisans, hang throughout the store. Elk, deer, raccoon, rabbit, turkey, bobcat and bear tracks are imprinted in the concrete floor. Bear, deer, mountain lion and other wildlife in natural and action settings are set amidst boulders on top of the 30,000 gallon fresh water aquarium.
The multi-story waterfall cascades down rocks and into the aquarium which will be stocked with more than 400 fish native to the area including largemouth bass, white bass, brook trout, catfish, gar, walleye, crappie and smallmouth.
Museum quality wildlife exhibits and dioramas are seen throughout the entire store. At any moment visitors could expect to come upon a covey of quail being flushed from grasslands or a sentinel of turkeys standing guard in a thicket.
A feature diorama that begins on the right side of the clerestory and wraps around the aquarium depicts herds of buffalo and prong horn being chased across the prairies by wolves. Elsewhere in the store, visitors can walk ‘under a duck marsh’ and look up to see a fish-eye’s view of ducks diving and swimming on the surface. Various waterfowl, turkey and eagles may be seen flying and roosting throughout the clerestory.
Iowa History and Fishing
Recognizing Iowa as one of the top producing trophy deer states in the nation, 10 of the magnificent trophy mounts from the King of Bucks exhibit will be on display at the Altoona Bass Pro Shops. The mounts include the Del Austin, Mel Johnson, and Mike Beatty among others. For more information on the mounts comprised in the awesomeKing of Bucks collection, please visit www.basspro.com/kingofbucks. Other collections featured at the store include shoulder mounts of deer, caribou, elk and more from local sportsman Tom Gannon.
Bass Pro Shops’ dedication to detail is evident wherever you look as their own artisans work with local craftspeople to create a visual style unique to that store, including handcrafted ornate metal fire screen doors, iron railings, sconces and more. For example, over the men’s dressing room is a diorama featuring an old-fashioned barn raising. With a nod to Iowa’s Amish sector, it appears they are in the midst of ‘raising’ the skeletal framework of a two-story barn.
A company first, bowling like you’ve never seen it before, will be offered at the Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl and Grill. This 15,000 square-foot nautical-themed entity, located within the 145,000-square foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store, features a truly unique atmosphere and design geared for family fun and dining.
Offering an outside as well as an in-store entrance, visitors will approach a wooden ship-like desk to obtain shoes and a lane. Twelve lanes, divided into two separate areas of 6 lanes each, offer customers the chance to bowl ‘under the ocean.’ Dock wood lanes feature beautiful under-water scenery of sea turtles, sharks, stingrays and other saltwater species which will also glow in the dark during cosmic bowling. Hand-painted murals depicting oceanic life line the walls and fish, like a 16’ long giant squid, hang suspended from the ceiling.
A separate area off the bowling lanes contains a state-of-the art, upscale billiards room—the “Black Widow’s Parlor”—so named for the ‘Black Widow’ America’s billiards player Jeanette Lee. Resplendent in dark wood paneling and mullioned glass, the room also features a fireplace with its handcrafted screen displaying a black widow spider spinning its web. Two tournament pool tables are available and promises hours of fun for ‘pool sharks’.
Casual family dining will be available in the Grill which is capable of seating 90 in the main dining room and has additional seating for 48 in a separate area. Customers can select from a menu featuring a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and burgers. A private room can host up to 36 and is the perfect spot for a private lunch or dinner, seminar or even a fun birthday party.
An island-theme bar area, which has seating for 20, offers visitors the experience of feeling like they are underwater exploring the skeletal remains of a sunken ship. Looking up, visitors can see the battered, barnacle and coral-encrusted wooden hull, an old rusted iron chain and the iron rail around the bow. A host of exotic fish swim in and around the wreck while Dorado and sharks, suspended from the ceiling, appear to swim overhead. The bar features a 750-gallon saltwater aquarium with scores of beautiful, tropical fish. It is elevated to provide views of the bowling action while serving up your favorite refreshment.
But the attention to detail doesn’t stop with store design and imagery elements. The same consideration is given to merchandise selection. Visitors will have the area’s largest array of freshwater rods, reels and fishing accessories to choose from, all hand-picked and specially selected for the area.
The White River Fly Shop, featuring antique and collectible fly fishing memorabilia, has a vast selection of the latest in
fly fishing gear. Experts will continue the art of hand-tying flies on site and assist customers in making the perfect selection.
The attention to detail continues to be evident in the hunting department where cabinets are adorned with hand-carved animals. Customers will find an equally impressive array of hunting clothing and gear. The archery department offers a bow set-up shop and a 25-yard archery range that is perfect for testing new bows or sharpening necessary archery skills.
More than a hunting and fishing store, visitors will also find items perfect for camping, hiking, outdoor cooking, bird watching or whatever your outdoor pleasures may be. A gift and nature center offers a variety of items from artwork to lamps, to bird feeders and furniture, to home decorating items and gifts for the holidays. Cooking accessories include cookbooks, spices, grills and jerky making items.
The store also features a General Store and a Fudge Shop. Visitors can hearken to an earlier day while they wander through the General Store–themed circa 1850’s–just like an old country store their great-grandparents probably shopped for their general goods. A large collection of foods and gift items are available for country, outdoor and lodge living as well as some of the best homemade fudge around.
A wide selection of men’s and women’s footwear and apparel, featuring popular brands including Columbia, North Face, Woolrich, Bob Timberlake, World Wide Sportsman and RedHead are also available.
A NASCAR® department offers racing clothing, caps and memorabilia for your favorite drivers. Three NASCAR® simulators, set against a back drop of a photo mural of the Iowa Speedway, offer ‘kids’ the experience of what it’s like to be behind the wheel of a race car. The simulators feature the credible interior of a race car and chassis.
Kids of all ages will enjoy the laser arcade outfitted with some 55 targets—themed as a farm, circa 1898, featuring a sod house, cornfield, scarecrow, outhouse, Conestoga wagon and wood stove. The farm has been taken over by ‘critters’ after humans deserted the scene. A series of strobe lights and wind effects will simulate a storm when a target is hit.
A front wall near the checkouts displays the logos of the national conservation groups Bass Pro Shops partners with. A company hallmark, their dedication to conservation is apparent through the many groups and organizations whose ongoing efforts and continuing outdoor education they support.
“The people of our company believe very strongly that the future of our industry, the sports we serve, and the sports we personally enjoy are absolutely more dependent upon how we manage our natural resources than anything else,” says Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “It is far more important than any catalog we mail, any new store we open, or any new product our vendor creates.”
The marine and boat center displays a full range of boats from Tracker Marine–the world’s largest manufacturer of fishing boats. From big water boats to small fishing boats, canoeing and even kayaking, customers will find exactly what they need to have fun on the water with selections from Tracker, Nitro, Tahoe, Sun Tracker, Mako and more. And, another company first, the store features their first inside boat preparation area where customers can walk in and watch the boat they just purchased being prepped to be delivered. An on-site, state-of-the-art boat service center with 4 service bays will also be available for customers’ convenience for boat rigging.
Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World has hired associates from the Altoona and Des Moines area that have a passion for the outdoors so customers will be assured of getting local skilled, knowledgeable assistance with questions and selections. The store will also offer free Outdoor Skills Workshops for adults, kids and families that will help maximize outdoor fun by teaching new skills and improving existing ones.
About Bass Pro Shops Group:
Bass Pro Shops -55 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 100 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO.
