Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Opens Oct. 22 in Tacoma, Washington
OutdoorHub 09.23.14
New store is company’s first in Pacific Northwest and will salute the area’s diverse landscapes, abundant wildlife, and outdoor traditions.
When the doors of the Bass Pro Shops Tacoma Outdoor World swing open on Oct. 22, visitors will be amazed at how artisans have captured the beauty and outdoor opportunities found in the Pacific Northwest. Massive log and rock work, a large indoor aquarium and water feature stocked with native fish species, hand-painted murals, museum quality fish and wildlife mounts, photos, and artifacts will all pay tribute to the region’s great outdoor heritage.
Bass Pro Shops visitors can expect to be immersed in the Tacoma/Seattle area scenery as artisans have captured the area’s beauty from the coastal lowlands of Puget Sound to the glaciated peak of Mount Rainier. The décor at this mecca for outdoor fun highlights the area’s stunning estuaries, glacial lakes, and rivers. And, at the soon-to-open Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, residents and visitors can now gear up to enjoy the region’s world-class fishing, boating, hunting, camping and hiking.
The 142,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, at 7905 S. Hosmer Street in Tacoma, Washington, is a tribute to the Pacific Northwest’s awesome beauty and abundant wildlife. In addition, the store celebrates Washington’s portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and other points of interest. The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store is located at the intersection of Interstate 5 and 72nd street, a main north-south corridor through the Seattle area and gateway to Mount Rainer. It is scheduled to open Wednesday, Oct. 22, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony that begins at 6 p.m.
Bass Pro Shops – Store, Museum, Art Gallery, Entertainment and More
Bass Pro Shops uniquely designed, award-winning stores are often considered to be part museum, art gallery, antique store, aquarium, and centers for conservation education and fun. They also offer the area’s largest selection of high-quality outdoor gear as well as a staff of dedicated professionals who promote the outdoor lifestyle and live it as well.
The Tacoma Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World features the popular Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl and Grill. This one-of-a-kind concept, developed by Johnny Morris and named after his uncle, is a nautical-themed entity located within the store. It features an atmosphere and design geared for family fun and dining. Sixteen lanes will offer customers the chance to feel like they’re bowling in the ocean. Casual family dining will be available in the grill where customers can select from a menu featuring a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and burgers. To see the popular Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl and Grill, visit this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwMxwQuaz1w&feature=youtu.be
Learn About Bass Pro Shops Dedication to Conservation
Since the beginning, Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris has been dedicated to inspiring people, especially youth and families, to love, enjoy and conserve the great outdoors. That commitment, demonstrated over the course of several decades, is a big reason why Bass Pro Shops is known as the outdoor industry’s corporate conservation leader. Bass Pro Shops has partnered with and supports the efforts of many conservation organizations that work to conserve and manage the nation’s natural resources. The company’s key conservation initiatives include fish and wildlife habitat improvements, conservation and outdoor skills education, improving water quality and quality of our lakes and springs, and conservation advocacy.
The Conservation Partner Wall, which is located near the checkouts at the Tacoma Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, reflects that commitment to conservation with a display showcasing the logos of national conservation groups that Bass Pro Shops partners with.
“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 our conservation efforts and how we manage our natural resources than anything else,” said 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.”
Decorating With Nature in Mind
Hand painted murals wrap the store’s interior and depict familiar scenes of the region. One gets the sense of traveling through Washington’s landscape as the murals transport the viewer through a series of panoramic vistas—all beautifully replicated with the stroke of an artist’s brush. Through the use of special lighting techniques, the murals take on a living, breathing quality.
The all-wood lobby features log timbers, a large, stacked rock fireplace, and a balcony with trophy wildlife mounts. The furniture, artifacts, and antique hunting and fishing gear create a rustic lodge look. An archway diorama of fighting elk leads the way into the store.
The clerestory area, or upper part of the wall near the ceiling, features large, wrap-around murals depicting several familiar Washington landmarks. The murals are unique in the fact that what starts out many times as a simple painting extends into an actual fish or wildlife mount or some other property creating a 3-D effect. Vintage photos and gear complete the scene and highlight the area’s original sportsmen and women.
Each department in the store has its own imagery theme of murals and dioramas of wildlife in landscapes of local mountain ranges, rain forests, coastal areas, and estuaries. Some of those include:
• The hunting department features a diorama above the gun cabinets displaying black-tailed deer and turkey on the left side, and wolves chasing mule deer to the right and up onto the archery ledge.
• The wall in the archery department is a three dimensional replica of the Cedar Creek covered bridge located in the southern portion of the state.
• This theme is continued in the camping department with a replica of the Cedar Creek grist mill. A long mural of a pleasant lake scene leads to a camping diorama.
• The fishing and marine departments offer similar murals and displays of local waterfalls and landscapes.
The 12,000-gallon freshwater aquarium is a focal point of the store and features a 3-D diorama of a waterfall with mountain lion, big horn sheep, and mountain goats against a backdrop mural of Mount Rainier. The aquarium will be stocked with 75-100 fish native to the area such as largemouth bass, striped bass, black/white crappie, yellow perch, muskellunge, rainbow trout, brook trout, walleye, channel catfish, and more.
Wildlife Exhibits Showcase Washington Species
Displays throughout the store will feature museum-quality mounts of wildlife native to Washington such as grizzly bear, beaver, turkey, deer, moose, elk, mountain lion, and more. The exciting King of Bucks display features Boone and Crockett, state, and world record white-tailed deer mounts.
Bass Pro Shops dedication to detail is evident wherever visitors look as artisans work to create a visual style unique to that store, including handcrafted ornate metal fire screen doors, iron railings, sconces and more.
The Merchandise Matches Local Shoppers’ Needs
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 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 assisting customers in making the perfect selection.
In the hunting department, customers will find an equally impressive array of hunting clothing and gear while the archery department offers a bow set-up shop.
More than a hunting and fishing store, visitors also will find items perfect for camping, hiking, outdoor cooking, bird watching or whatever their outdoor pleasures may be. A gift and nature center offers a variety of items such as:
• Artwork
• Lamps
• Bird feeders
• Furniture
• Home decorating items
• Gifts for the holidays
• Cooking accessories such as cookbooks, spices, grills, and jerky making items.
A wide selection of men’s and women’s footwear and apparel, featuring popular brands including Columbia, North Face, Bob Timberlake, and RedHead, are also available.
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, Ascend and more. An on-site, state-of-the-art boat service center with three service bays also will be available for customers’ convenience for boat rigging as well as a full-time master service technician. In addition, Bass Pro Shops is the nation’s leading Arctic Cat® dealer.
Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World has hired 200-250 associates from the Tacoma/Seattle area. In addition, the store will offer free outdoor skills workshops throughout the year for adults, kids and families that will help maximize outdoor fun by teaching new skills and improving existing ones.
A special Evening for Conservation to help benefit area conservation groups will take place the night before the official grand opening. This exciting, celebrity-packed event is free and open to the public. Information regarding this event will be available soon.
For more information regarding the store visit Bass Pro Shops Tacoma Outdoor World.
For general video about Bass Pro Shops visit http://youtu.be/Nib4BEQl2-k
