Wonders of Wildlife Jellyfish Gallery

Contributing to an international attraction like Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium signals that a project is going to be big – and also pretty neat, according to Jadan Scoggins, project manager with Commercial Builders General Contracting.

“Honestly, it was such a high-profile thing – and something really cool to be able to tag your name on to say you had a hand in creating it,” Scoggins said.

Though the award nomination submitted to Springfield Contractors Association refers to the project as the Jellyfish Gallery, a news release issued by Wonders of Wildlife earlier this year referred to the project by a different name: the Mystical Underwater Jellyfish Abyss Exhibit.

According to past Springfield Business Journal reporting, the tank will feature a theater-style view for aquarium visitors.

The design is projected to be the largest jellyfish tank in the U.S. The tank, which had to be reinforced by structural steel because of its size, is designed to hold 4,800 gallons of water and weigh approximately 91,185 pounds, according to project officials.

“Johnny Morris has an amazing eye for projects, and getting this experience was so unique and so exciting,” Scoggins said. “I hope that it opens soon so everyone can get to experience it.”

Brent Courter of Smith-Goth Engineers said the project went smoothly.

“It was definitely a collaborative process – that’s true of any successful project,” he said.

Courter said the company worked on plans in 2021 before issuing them the following year. While it wasn’t a difficult project from an MEP perspective, that element was critical to the project.

Like Scoggins, he said it was an exciting project to contribute to.

“It’s a cool place, especially for us to have locally,” he said.

The Bass Pro Communications team, which handles WOW media, declined a request by SBJ to photograph the not-yet-opened exhibit. An idea of the scope is conveyed through photos that were submitted with the Design Team of the Year award nomination form, and WOW has provided a sneak peek through some renderings online.