The Shepherd of the Hills Trout Hatchery is operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation and produces both Rainbow and Brown Trout for not only Lake Taneycomo but other state trout fishing facilities. The Visitor Center features a display of wildflowers and plants indigenous to the area as well as a nature display and a short video on the hatchery and the process of producing the trout that makes Lake Taneycomo one of the premier trout fisheries in the nation. There is also a huge aquarium with some “lunker” Brown and Rainbow Trout indicating the size of some of the trout in Lake Taneycomo. The Visitor Center opens at 9:00 a.m. every day except, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.