Bass Pro Shops celebrates opening of first Arkansas location

Hannah Swisher and her family have been waiting for this day — when Arkansas’ first Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World opened in Little Rock — all year.

Swisher, of Benton, said she and her son Ethan were at the event to support her husband, Darren, who is an employee at the store.

“We’re just proud to have a place like this come into town,” Swisher said. “We’ve been excited. Waited for it all year [to open], at least since the summer.”

A large crowd of patrons gathered in front of the store in southwest Little Rock to celebrate its opening in an “Evening for Conservation” event Wednesday evening.

The new 100,000-square-foot facility is located just off Interstate 30 westbound near the Interstate 430 interchange at 1 Bass Pro Drive. It features all the nuances of many other of the stores across the nation, with areas for hunting, fishing, golf, camping, hiking and more.

The event began around 6 p.m. with a crowd of around 1,000 people present. The store will stay open until 9 p.m. Wednesday for the festivities. A portion of the sales from the night will go to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.

Various celebrities and state dignitaries were scheduled to make appearances, including Gov. Mike Beebe, who took part in the ceremonial ribbon-cutting. NASCAR superstar Tony Stewart was one of several notable guests at the event, as well as professional anglers Kevin VanDam and Bill Dance. Miss Arkansas 2013 Hannah Billingsley was also scheduled to appear.

Booths were set up representing the National Rifle Association, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Quality Deer Management Association, along with exhibits featuring the NASCAR Truck Series vehicle of Ty Dillon, who is sponsored by Bass Pro Shops.

Customers filled the store parking lot before the store opened to the public at 6:30 p.m. to make their first purchases and meet the celebrities.

Known for its outdoorsy ambiance, the store is stocked with a 27,000-gallon aquarium complete with large mouth and white bass, sunfish, black and white crappie, channel catfish and others, according to a news release from the company. Other minutiae involving the state’s vast wildlife and outdoor scene, including murals and artifacts, were used to dress the store as well.

The store will officially open for full business at 8 a.m. Thursday. Regular business hours will be 9 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.