Pokemon Fossil Museum is finally coming to the U.S. with life-size Pokemon skeletons
The Pokemon Fossil Museum exhibition, a traveling paleontology collaboration created in Japan, is officially coming to the United States for the first time.
The Field Museum in Chicago has announced it will host the show from May 22, 2026 through April 11, 2027. Originally launched in 2021 by Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science and The Pokemon Company, the exhibit blends fictional fossil Pokemon with real prehistoric specimens.
It has traveled across multiple regions of Japan, drawing large crowds for its mix of scientific education and franchise history. The U.S. debut will mark the exhibit’s first time outside Japan.
Exhibit details confirmed by the Field Museum
According to the Field Museum, visitors will see life-size fossil Pokemon skeletons displayed alongside actual fossils that inspired them. Pairings include Aerodactyl with pterosaurs, Tyrantrum with Tyrannosaurus fossils, Bastiodon with ceratopsians, and Omanyte with ammonites. Educational panels explain fossilization, extinction, and how paleontologists reconstruct ancient animals.
In its announcement, the museum stated that the exhibition will reinterpret fan-favorite fossil Pokemon as if they existed in the real world, using scientific methods and comparisons to actual species. The show will also include illustrations, dig-site style displays, and hands-on learning areas for younger visitors.
The Pokemon Fossil Museum will run for nearly one year in Chicago before continuing its worldwide tour. Ticket information has not yet been released, but the museum says additional details will be shared closer to launch.