Pokémon Fossil Museum to Display Real and Fake Fossils in U.S. Next Year

The Pokémon Company has exciting news for fans in North America: the Pokémon Fossil Museum is set to open its doors in May 2026. This unique exhibition, which first debuted in Japan, will now make its North American debut at Chicago's Field Museum starting May 22, 2026, marking its first venture outside of Japan.

Curious about what the Pokémon Fossil Museum entails? It's an immersive experience where visitors can explore the fascinating world of Pokémon "fossils" juxtaposed with real-world ancient lifeforms. The Field Museum will showcase vibrant Pokémon models alongside its own collection of extinct lifeforms, including scientific casts of iconic dinosaurs like SUE the T. rex and the Chicago Archaeopteryx. These will be displayed next to Fossil Pokémon such as Tyrantrum and Archeops. Visitors will have the chance to discover both the differences and similarities between these ancient beings and their Pokémon counterparts. "How many differences (and similarities) will you spot, Trainers?" the museum teases.

Pokémon Fossil Museum Virtual Tour

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Can't make it to Chicago or Japan? No worries! The Pokémon Company, in collaboration with the Toyohashi Museum of Natural History, offers a virtual tour of the Pokémon Fossil Museum. This digital experience allows fans from around the world to explore the exhibit from the comfort of their homes, viewing both real and Pokémon fossils, from a tyrannosaurus to a Tyrantrum.

In other Pokémon-related news, a man in the UK was recently arrested after police uncovered a stash of stolen Pokémon cards valued at approximately £250,000 (around $332,500). The discovery was made during a raid on a home in Hyde, Tameside, near Greater Manchester. A police spokesperson couldn't resist a playful nod to the franchise, remarking, "Gotta catch 'em all."