The Pokémon Fossil Museum Is Bringing Real and Fake Pokémon Fossils to the U.S. Next Year

The Pokémon Company has confirmed the Pokémon Fossil Museum is coming to North America in May 2026.

If you’re wondering what on earth the Pokémon Fossil Museum is, it’s… well, it’s exactly what it says on the tin. After its debut in Japan, this special exhibition, which compares fabricated Pokémon “fossils” with “ancient lifeforms found in real-world fossils,” is coming to Chicago’s Field Museum on May 22, 2026. It’ll be the first time the exhibition travels beyond 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,” explained the museum. “How many differences (and similarities) will you spot, Trainers?”

If you’re still too far away from both Japan and Chicago to visit, don’t forget that The Pokémon Company and Toyohashi Museum of Natural History have made it possible to see the Pokémon Fossil Museum from the comfort of your own home. Pokémon fans can now take a virtual tour around the exhibit to see the collection of real and Pokémon fossils, from a tyrannosaurus to a Tyrantrum.

In related Pokémon news, earlier today we reported that a man in the UK had been arrested after police discovered he was harboring a cache of stolen Pokémon cards worth £250,000 (approx. $332,500). The hoard was discovered after Greater Manchester Police raided a home in Hyde, Tameside, on the outskirts of Greater Manchester. A police spokesman joked: “Gotta catch ’em all.”

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.