A ‘Pokémon’ Fossil Exhibit is Coming to a Chicago Museum

Pokémon fans are going to make one of the most popular museums in Chicago a destination starting this spring as a brand new exhibit is going to launch that merges history with the franchise's most popular characters.

On May 22nd, 2026, the Chicago Field Museum will be opening the "Pokémon Fossil Museum." The exhibit is the first of its kind in America, and amalgamates fossilized Pokémon with ancient creatures.

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What the "Pokémon Fossil Museum" is All About:

Attendees will be able to see their favorite Pokémon characters like Tyrantrum and Archeops alongside famous casts of Sue the T. Rex and the Chicago Archaeopteryx, per Time Out Chicago.

The exhibit's origins in Japan were created in collaboration with the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo and The Pokémon Company. Chicago will be the first and only North American city with this exhibit, and it will be open from May 2026 through April 11th, 2027.

Those who attend the exhibit will be guided by "professors" who will give people an up-close look at fossil excavation tools and learn about how paleontologists work. The folks behind the exhibit are Chief Fossil Preparator Akiko Shinya, Assistant Curator of Early Tetrapods Arjan Mann, and Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles Jingmai O’Connor:

Aligned with the Field Museum’s mission to connect us to the natural world, the Pokémon Fossil Museum will inspire visitors to make new discoveries about some of their favorite Pokémon while offering a pathway to science, especially budding paleontologists - Jaap Hoogstraten, Head of Exhibitions at the Field Museum, per Time Out Chicago

Find out more about the "Pokémon Fossil Museum" coming to the Chicago Field Museum in May 2026 on Time Out Chicago's website.