Bass Pro Shops Is Bringing a Massive Outdoor World to the Heart of South Carolina
The Columbia, South Carolina, region has long been one of the American Southeast's most productive patches of outdoor country — a place where serious bass anglers chase tournament-caliber fish on Lake Murray, where hunters work the pine-dotted Midlands for whitetail, and where generations of families have built their identities around time spent on the water or in the woods. Now, one of the country's most recognizable names in outdoor retail is staking its claim in that tradition. Bass Pro Shops announced plans for a new 110,000-square-foot destination retail location in Irmo, South Carolina, expected to open in late 2027. It's a move that outdoor enthusiasts across the Midlands have been waiting on for years — and the implications stretch well beyond square footage.
The Location: Irmo, Right on the Edge of Lake Murray Country
Anyone who has driven west out of Columbia on Interstate 26 knows the landscape quickly opens up into the rolling terrain that defines the Midlands. The new 110,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops retail destination will be located along Broad River Road in Irmo, just three miles from Lake Murray. That's not an accident. Lake Murray is the crown jewel of the region's outdoor scene — a massive reservoir stretching across three counties that draws anglers from across the country chasing striped bass, largemouth, and crappie, as well as boaters, water skiers, and campers who flood its shores from early spring through late fall.
The site itself was quietly assembled well before any public announcement was made. The announcement came after the revelation that five plots of land totaling just over 19 acres at the interchange of I-26 and Broad River Road were bought by Bass Pro Outdoor World LLC in March, according to online tax maps, and they are collectively valued at $5 million, according to the records. Real estate watchers in the Midlands had their eyes on those parcels, but the buyer's identity flew under the radar until the official word dropped on October 15, 2026. The I-26 and Broad River Road interchange gives the store exceptional access — one of the most heavily traveled corridors in the Columbia metro area, connecting downtown Columbia with Lexington County and feeding traffic from the entire western half of the Midlands.
Why Columbia, and Why Now
The Columbia market has been something of a conspicuous gap in Bass Pro Shops' South Carolina footprint. This will mark the fourth Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store in South Carolina, following spots in Greenville, Fort Mill, and Myrtle Beach — and it will be the first Columbia location. That means anglers and hunters in the Midlands have been driving hours to reach the nearest store, a reality that has become increasingly frustrating as the outdoor recreation boom of the past several years has deepened demand for quality gear, expert advice, and the kind of experience that a destination-format store provides.
The timing reflects both market maturity and strategic intent. Bass Pro Shops said its destination stores are designed to offer an immersive shopping experience that reflects the communities they serve, and the company pointed to Lake Murray's popularity among anglers and boaters, as well as the Midlands' history of hosting major fishing competitions, including Major League Fishing and Bassmaster events. Those aren't incidental details — they're the core of how Bass Pro Shops evaluates markets. The company builds stores where outdoor culture already runs deep, not where it hopes to manufacture it from scratch. Columbia, with its established angling community, proximity to a world-class reservoir, and a metro population hungry for this kind of retail anchor, checked every box.
Company materials noted that "the Midlands region of South Carolina is steeped in a rich outdoor heritage, offering abundant opportunities for fishing," and that "the area has hosted many of the sport's premier events, including Major League Fishing and Bassmaster competitions, and serves as a gathering place for generations of anglers, boaters and outdoor enthusiasts." For a company that prides itself on understanding regional outdoor culture, that language reveals exactly how thoroughly Bass Pro Shops studied this market before committing nearly 20 acres and tens of millions of dollars to the project.
Johnny Morris and the Philosophy Behind the Brand
Any story about a new Bass Pro Shops location is really a story about Johnny Morris and the retail philosophy he built from nothing in Springfield, Missouri, more than five decades ago. Bass Pro Shops was founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris started selling tackle out of his father's liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. What started as a small corner of a family business became one of the most recognizable retail empires in American history — a company that reimagined what an outdoor store could be, transforming the transactional into the experiential long before that word became a retail industry cliché.
That was the company's sole location for the first 13 years, and it has since grown to nearly 200 retail locations throughout North America. The second location didn't come until 1995. The second Bass Pro Shops location opened in Duluth, Georgia, in 1995, and from then until 2004, the company opened three to four stores a year, then seven to nine stores a year from 2005 to 2008. That controlled, deliberate growth allowed Morris to maintain quality and brand consistency in a way that many retail expansions fail to do.
Morris's personal fingerprints are all over the Columbia announcement. "It is a true honor for us to serve the sportsmen and women who call this beautiful region home," Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris said in the release. "With Lake Murray offering some of the finest bass fishing in the country and generations of families enjoying the outdoors together, we're proud to become part of that tradition." That kind of statement from the founder — not the marketing department — signals how personally invested Morris remains in each expansion, even at the scale the company now operates. He has said publicly that he still thinks of every new store as an opportunity to connect more Americans with the outdoors, and the Columbia location fits squarely into that mission.
Every Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World location "is designed as a tribute to the region it serves," and Morris "often is referred to as 'The Walt Disney of the Outdoors' for his knack of creating experiences that connect people with nature." That comparison isn't just flattery — it captures something real about the model. Like Disney, Bass Pro Shops understood before nearly anyone else in its industry that people don't just want to buy things; they want to be transported somewhere. They want their kids to stand wide-eyed in front of a giant aquarium. They want to feel the atmosphere of a place that takes the outdoors as seriously as they do.
What to Expect Inside: The Outdoor World Experience
A Store Designed for Columbia, Not Just Any Market
One of the most important distinctions between Bass Pro Shops and generic big-box outdoor retailers is customization. Every Outdoor World is built to reflect the specific landscape, wildlife, and outdoor culture of the region it occupies. The new Bass Pro Shops destination will honor the region's rich conservation legacy through a completely unique custom design created specifically for the Columbia market. That means the wildlife displays, the aquariums, the murals, and the entire visual environment inside the Irmo store will be anchored in South Carolina's Midlands — its bass, its waterfowl, its whitetail, its rivers and reservoirs.
Today Bass Pro Shops locations are more than just stores — they are destination experiences that draw more than 200 million visitors annually. Each location is heavily customized to reflect the character of the region. In addition to giant aquariums teeming with live fish and extensive wildlife mounts and dioramas, many locations feature unique restaurants and ocean-themed bowling alleys. The Irmo location's specific features haven't been fully detailed yet, but the broader Outdoor World format has consistently delivered those immersive interior environments that turn a shopping trip into something closer to an afternoon outing.
Gear, Service, and the Outfitter Model
Beyond the spectacle, the Columbia store will function as a full-service outdoor retail destination serving hunters, anglers, campers, hikers, and boaters across the entire greater Columbia region. According to the company, the new location will serve customers throughout the greater Columbia region, offering equipment and supplies for fishing, hunting, camping, hiking and other outdoor activities. That broad product mix reflects the diversity of outdoor pursuits in the Midlands — a region where turkey season is as eagerly anticipated as bass season, and where weekend camping trips to Sumter National Forest are a family staple.
The staff the store brings on board matters as much as the inventory. Bass Pro Shops said the Irmo location is expected to employ more than 120 workers, whom the company refers to as Outfitters. The Outfitter designation is intentional — Bass Pro Shops has long leaned into the idea that its employees should be genuine outdoor enthusiasts capable of giving the kind of advice you'd get from a knowledgeable friend rather than a commission-hungry floor associate. In a market like Columbia, where outdoor expertise runs deep in the community, that staffing philosophy is particularly well suited. The 120-plus jobs the store will create represent a meaningful contribution to the local economy, and the careers available will draw applicants who are already invested in the outdoor lifestyle.
A Major Land Deal That Was Years in the Making
The real estate acquisition underlying the project tells its own story about how deliberately Bass Pro Shops approaches expansion. Five plots of land totaling just over 19 acres at the interchange of I-26 and Broad River Road were bought by Bass Pro Outdoor World LLC in March, according to online tax maps, and they are collectively valued at $5 million, according to the records. Buying five separate parcels is not a quick process — it requires negotiating with multiple landowners, clearing title issues, and coordinating with local government on zoning and permitting. The fact that Bass Pro Shops completed that acquisition months before the public announcement suggests the company had been working this market quietly and methodically for some time.
The I-26 corridor location is ideal for the kind of destination-format retail Bass Pro Shops builds. Bass Pro Shops operates stores that serve roughly 120 million sports enthusiasts annually and can draw customers from over 50 miles away. An interchange location on a major interstate puts the Irmo store within easy reach not just of the Columbia metro but of Newberry, Lexington, Batesburg-Leesville, and communities stretching west toward Aiken and north toward Chapin. The Lake Murray basin alone encompasses dozens of communities whose residents have never had a full-scale Bass Pro Shops within reasonable driving distance.
South Carolina's Outdoor Economy and What This Means for the State
South Carolina's outdoor recreation economy is substantial and growing. The state's combination of coastal marshes, piedmont rivers, mountain streams, and inland reservoirs creates a year-round outdoor calendar that supports billions of dollars in economic activity. The Midlands in particular sits at the center of South Carolina's freshwater fishing culture, anchored by Lake Murray but supported by the Congaree River, Lake Wateree, and dozens of smaller impoundments that hold everything from trophy largemouth to trophy catfish.
The Bass Pro Shops announcement is a vote of confidence in that economy. The new location will mark Bass Pro Shops' fourth destination retail location in South Carolina and further strengthen the company's commitment to serving customers across the Palmetto State. With stores already in Greenville serving the Upstate, Fort Mill anchoring the Charlotte-area market on the South Carolina side, and Myrtle Beach capturing the coastal Grand Strand crowd, the Columbia store fills the last major geographic gap in the company's state coverage. South Carolina's outdoor enthusiasts — from the Lowcountry fisherman who drives up to Lake Murray for a weekend tournament to the Midlands hunter heading out for opening day of deer season — will have a home base in the Midlands at last.
The store's arrival also signals something broader about the Irmo and Broad River Road corridor specifically. The project adds a large specialty retail destination on the Broad River Road corridor west of Columbia. Anchor retail of this scale tends to catalyze surrounding commercial development — restaurants, hotels, and complementary retailers follow foot traffic, particularly when the anchor store is the kind of destination that draws visitors from a fifty-mile radius on a regular basis.
Bass Pro Shops' National Expansion Momentum
Columbia isn't the only market Bass Pro Shops has targeted in recent years. The company has been on a sustained expansion run that reflects both the post-pandemic outdoor recreation surge and the brand's continued strength as one of America's most trusted retail names. In recent months, destination retail locations have opened in Duluth, Minnesota; Tyler, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida; and Spring, Texas; with openings scheduled in Clifton Park, New York; Odessa, Texas; Loveland, Colorado; Tucson, Arizona; Fort Smith, Arkansas; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Lansing, Michigan; Greater Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi; and Muncy, Pennsylvania. That's a national footprint expansion happening at a pace that few retailers in any category can match.
The company has also been growing through strategic acquisition, not just new construction. In 2017, Bass Pro Shops joined with Cabela's, expanding its outdoor retail operations. That merger created the largest outdoor retail company in North America by a wide margin. More recently, in September 2025, Bass Pro Shops and White River Marine Group announced the acquisition of water sports brand Hobie Cat, with plans to return Hobie production and jobs from Mexico to Lebanon, Missouri — uniting two manufacturers with a combined 128 years of providing watercraft to outdoor enthusiasts around the world. That kind of vertical integration — owning the brands, the manufacturing, the retail, and the resort experiences — is what makes Bass Pro Shops genuinely different from competitors.
The brand's reputation has been validated by consumer surveys as well. Bass Pro Shops said Newsweek named it "America's Most Trusted Outdoor Retailer" for the fifth consecutive year in January 2026. Five straight years at the top of that list isn't luck — it's the product of a company that has consistently delivered on the promise its stores make at the front door.
The Conservation Angle: More Than Just a Store
Bass Pro Shops has never been content to position itself as purely a retail operation, and the Columbia store will be no different. The company's conservation commitments are baked into its DNA in ways that set it apart from competitors who treat environmental stewardship as a marketing afterthought. Bass Pro Shops supports conservation efforts, organizations that support the United States Armed Services and Veterans, and outdoor education and recreation for youth. Every store functions as a hub for those commitments — hosting fishing clinics, supporting local wildlife agencies, running youth outdoor programs, and partnering with conservation organizations that work in the surrounding region.
In South Carolina, those commitments will connect naturally with a state that takes conservation seriously. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources manages some of the most productive freshwater fisheries in the Southeast, and organizations like the South Carolina Wildlife Federation and Ducks Unlimited have active and well-supported chapters throughout the Midlands. A Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in the Columbia market gives all of those organizations a powerful retail ally — a place where the next generation of hunters and anglers can walk in off the street, see the outdoors presented in its full splendor, and walk out with a renewed sense of what's possible on the water and in the woods.
The company's military support programs deserve mention here as well. Bass Pro Shops' military programs honor those who have or are currently serving on the front lines in South Carolina and throughout the country who defend the nation's freedoms, including opportunities to hunt, fish and spend time in the great outdoors. Columbia is home to Fort Jackson, one of the Army's largest and most active training installations, as well as a large and well-organized veteran community throughout the Midlands. A Bass Pro Shops location that actively supports and honors military service members and veterans will find an immediate and deeply appreciative audience in this market.
The Road to Late 2027: What Comes Next
With land already purchased and the announcement now public, the next phase for the Irmo project involves permitting, design finalization, and construction — a multi-year process that, if everything proceeds on schedule, delivers a completed store in late 2027. According to company officials, the new store will feature a custom design specifically created to highlight the region's outdoor recreation and conservation heritage. That design process is one of the more involved undertakings in Bass Pro Shops' development pipeline — it requires not just architectural planning but research into the specific wildlife, landscapes, and cultural touchstones of the target region so that everything from the mounted displays to the floor graphics accurately reflects where the store is.
For the outdoor community in the Midlands, the two-year wait will test patience. But the end result — a 110,000-square-foot, fully immersive Outdoor World built specifically for this region, staffed by more than 120 local outdoor enthusiasts, sitting three miles from one of the finest bass fisheries in the American Southeast — is worth the anticipation. The company has promised that the Columbia destination "will offer a wide selection of quality products at the best prices around, backed by the genuine, friendly expert service Bass Pro Shops is known for." For hunters, anglers, and outdoor families from Irmo to Newberry and beyond, that's not a sales pitch. That's a promise from the most trusted name in the business.
