I already knew Bass Pro Shops as a place built around fishing, camping and spending time outdoors.
But looking at everything the company has been doing throughout 2026, calling it simply an outdoor retailer doesn't really capture the whole picture anymore.
Bass Pro Shops has been opening new stores, planning some seriously ambitious new destinations, investing in conservation and continuing to turn its stores into places people actually spend time in — not just somewhere they grab something and leave.
And now we're heading into the final stretch of the year.
Fall is here. Holiday shopping is getting closer. And Bass Pro Shops still has plenty happening before 2026 is over.
Bass Pro Shops Has Been Opening Some Seriously Big Stores in 2026
One of the clearest themes of 2026 has been physical expansion.
Bass Pro Shops opened new locations in Tucson, Arizona; Fort Smith, Arkansas; and Loveland, Colorado this year.
Its Loveland Outdoor World alone spans approximately 130,000 square feet and includes a 12,000-gallon aquarium and 3,000-gallon trout stream.
And the expansion isn't stopping there.
In August, Bass Pro Shops announced another planned Outdoor World location in College Station, Texas, expected to open in 2028.
The company says the project will bring its Texas footprint to 20 locations once its announced College Station and Abilene stores are included.
What interests me isn't simply the number of stores.
It's what Bass Pro Shops thinks a store should actually be.
These New Bass Pro Shops Stores Are Becoming Destinations of Their Own
Many retailers are trying to make stores quicker and more convenient.
Bass Pro Shops seems equally interested in making me want to stay longer.
Its Outdoor World locations can incorporate enormous aquariums, water features, wildlife displays and décor inspired by the outdoor heritage of the surrounding region.
The Loveland store, for example, was designed around Colorado and Rocky Mountain outdoor culture, rather than simply dropping the exact same store design into another city.
That's what makes the concept interesting to me.
I could walk in looking for fishing equipment, camping gear or outdoor clothing and end up spending considerably more time simply exploring the place.
A Bass Pro Shops visit can feel less like a traditional shopping trip and more like an attraction.
And some of what's coming next takes that idea even further.
One Upcoming Bass Pro Shops Store Sounds More Like an Attraction Than a Store
One of Bass Pro Shops' most ambitious projects is planned for Sayreville, New Jersey.
The company announced a new Outdoor World spanning approximately 200,000 square feet, which it says will be the largest single-level Bass Pro Shops location in the country.
But the size isn't even the wildest part.
Plans include a 65,000-gallon Shipwreck Aquarium, 12,000-gallon ray touch pool, live jellyfish and an interactive Sketch Aquarium for kids. Bass Pro Shops said in June that the destination was expected to open in fall 2026.
That's where the line between shopping and entertainment gets pretty blurry.
I might arrive because I need something for an outdoor trip.
But a giant shipwreck aquarium and ray touch pool give me completely different reasons to walk through the doors.
Fishing Is Still at the Heart of Bass Pro Shops — And It’s Reaching a New Generation
For all the expansion and enormous new stores, Bass Pro Shops hasn't moved away from what originally made the company famous.
Fishing is still central to the brand.
And one of its biggest initiatives this year wasn't about selling more fishing equipment at all.
In June, founder Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops announced the donation of more than 55,000 rods and reels to youth-focused nonprofit organizations across the United States and Canada through the company's Gone Fishing program.
Bass Pro Shops says the initiative has now donated more than half a million rods and reels over the past decade, alongside free events designed to introduce young people to fishing.
I think that says quite a bit about the bigger Bass Pro Shops strategy.
The company doesn't only want existing outdoor enthusiasts walking through its doors.
It wants another generation to become interested in being outside in the first place.
Bass Pro Shops Is Putting Its Conservation Message Into Action
Conservation is another part of Bass Pro Shops that becomes much more noticeable once I look beyond the products.
Its Outdoor Fund supports work centered around wildlife and habitat, connecting people with nature and protecting access to outdoor recreation.
Customers can participate through initiatives such as Round Up for the Outdoors, which allows eligible purchases to be rounded up to support conservation work.
Conservation has also been connected directly to new-store celebrations.
For the Loveland opening in July, Bass Pro Shops committed 15% of sales on most items during its Evening for Conservation to local conservation organizations.
So when Bass Pro Shops describes itself as an outdoor and conservation company, there's more sitting behind that message than I initially realized.
Fall Brings a Different Side of Bass Pro Shops Into Focus
Now that 2026 is entering its final months, Bass Pro Shops starts to feel different again.
Its current assortment spans fishing, camping, boating, outdoor clothing, footwear, electronics and other outdoor gear, while seasonal products shift with the calendar.
And that's something I think fits this brand particularly well.
Summer can mean boats, fishing trips and camping.
Fall brings cooler-weather clothing, footwear and a different kind of outdoor season.
Then November and December arrive and the stores begin transitioning toward something else entirely.
Christmas.
And Bass Pro Shops doesn't exactly do Christmas quietly.
The Holidays at Bass Pro Shops Have Become an Experience of Their Own
Christmas at Bass Pro Shops isn't just about putting gift displays near the entrance.
The company has built Santa's Wonderland into a long-running holiday tradition at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's locations.
In 2025, participating stores offered free Santa photos, family activities, crafts and giveaways, with the event running from early November through Christmas Eve.
Since we're still in September, I wouldn't assume the exact 2026 schedule, activities or participating locations will be identical until Bass Pro Shops announces this year's full details.
But it's definitely something I'd watch as November approaches.
Because this is another example of Bass Pro Shops turning its physical stores into somewhere families can have a reason to visit even when buying something isn't necessarily the main purpose of the trip.
Bass Pro Shops Has More Holiday Gift Potential Than I Expected
Then there are the actual gifts.
And this is where I think it's easy to underestimate Bass Pro Shops if I'm not already heavily into fishing or camping.
The assortment stretches beyond serious outdoor equipment into clothing, footwear, coolers, outdoor cooking, electronics, home and cabin products, toys and gifts for kids.
That opens up quite a few possibilities once Christmas shopping begins.
I could shop for someone who loves fishing.
Someone who camps every chance they get.
Someone who spends weekends hiking.
Someone who loves cooking outside.
Or simply someone who would rather spend Saturday at the lake than inside a shopping mall.
It means Bass Pro Shops can work as a holiday destination even when I'm not shopping for someone planning their next major outdoor expedition.
Bass Pro Shops Is Heading Into the Final Months of 2026 With Plenty Still Ahead
What stands out to me about Bass Pro Shops as 2026 winds down is how many different identities the company manages to fit under one roof.
It's an outdoor retailer.
But it's also building enormous destination stores.
It's creating aquariums and family experiences.
It's introducing younger generations to fishing.
It's investing in conservation.
And as the holidays approach, its stores can become seasonal destinations too.
Fall Outdoors • Destination Stores • Conservation • Family Experiences • Holiday Shopping • Christmas
Bass Pro Shops started in 1972 with founder Johnny Morris selling fishing tackle from just eight square feet of space in the back of his father's store.
More than five decades later, some of its newest locations are being measured in hundreds of thousands of square feet.
That's quite a transformation.
And heading through October, November, December and the final weeks of 2026, Bass Pro Shops increasingly looks like something much bigger than the outdoor store I initially pictured.