‘Pokemon Fossil Museum’ exhibit to make international debut in Chicago this spring

A Pokémon special exhibition that compares fossils of creatures from the video game series with real ancient life forms will make its international debut this spring at a Chicago museum.

Opening May 22, the exhibit allows museum goers to take a closer look at the fossils of both our world and the Pokémon world with the help of “professors” from the Pokémon world, “Excavator Pikachu,” and Field Museum scientists, the museum said in a press release.

A blog post from the Field Museum gives a look at the featured scientists and their backstories, including 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,” said Jaap Hoogstraten, Head of Exhibitions at the Field Museum.

The exhibition was created by the Field Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo and the Pokémon Company.

The Field Museum will host the exhibit until April 11, 2027.

More information on the exhibition is available here.