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

The Pokémon Company has officially announced that the Pokémon Fossil Museum will make its North American debut in May 2026.

If you're curious about what the Pokémon Fossil Museum entails, it's exactly as intriguing as it sounds. Following a successful run in Japan, this unique exhibition—showcasing fictional Pokémon "fossils" alongside real-world ancient lifeforms—is set to open at Chicago's Field Museum on May 22, 2026. This marks the first time the exhibit will travel outside of Japan.

“During your visit, you’ll see vibrant Pokémon models side by side with extinct lifeforms from the Field Museum’s collection — including scientific casts of Field Museum dinosaurs like SUE the T. rex and the Chicago Archaeopteryx next to Fossil Pokémon like Tyrantrum and Archeops,” shared the museum. “How many differences (and similarities) will you spot, Trainers?”

Pokémon Fossil Museum Virtual Tour

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Unable to visit either Japan or Chicago in person? No problem. The Pokémon Company, in collaboration with the Toyohashi Museum of Natural History, offers a convenient solution: a virtual tour of the Pokémon Fossil Museum. Fans can now explore the exhibit online and view both real and Pokémon fossils—from a Tyrannosaurus to a Tyrantrum—without leaving home.

In related Pokémon news, UK authorities recently made headlines when they arrested a man suspected of possessing a large collection of stolen Pokémon cards valued at £250,000 (approximately $332,500). The discovery occurred during a police raid on a property in Hyde, Tameside, near Greater Manchester. A spokesperson for the police department couldn't resist adding, "[ttpp]."