The Pokémon Fossil Museum, a Japanese exhibition that pairs man-made Pokémon fossils with real-world ancient life forms, will make its international debut at Chicago’s Field Museum in 2026, the museum and The Pokémon Company International announced Wednesday. Younger fans who started their adventure in Paldea and OG Kanto fans alike can view real dinosaurs and ancient life forms alongside their Pokémon equivalents.
Attendees will discover how Field Museum icons like SUE the T. Rex and the Chicago Archaeopteryx compare to Pokémon such as Tyrantrum and Archeops, while exploring how fossils are uncovered and studied in both the Pokémon universe and the real world. The exhibition features Pokémon “Professors,” the ever-adorable Excavator Pikachu complete with a cowboy hat, and Field scientists exploring fossils from both worlds.
“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,” said Jaap Hoogstraten, head of exhibitions at the Field Museum, in a news release, “especially budding paleontologists.”
You can see a Japanese-language tour of the Pokémon Fossil Museum exhibition in the video below for a sneak peek at what to expect.
Created by Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science and The Pokémon Company, Pokémon Fossil Museum is a traveling exhibition usually scheduled in museums throughout Japan. This year, Pokémon Fossil Museum is currently located at Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum until May 25. It will then move to Nagasaki City’s Dinosaur Museum from June 7 until Sept. 21. Its last stop will be the Tokushima Prefectural Museum in October.
Pokémon Fossil Museum will open at the Field Museum on May 22, 2026. We asked the Field Museum when tickets will go on sale, and a representative told Polygon, “We have not yet announced when tickets will be available. Anyone interested in being the first to buy tickets can sign up for email updates on our website.”
