How To Unlock And Upgrade The Museum In Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Establishing your museum serves as the cornerstone of collection management in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, transforming scattered specimens into a curated exhibition space that showcases your dedication to preserving the island’s biodiversity.

Beyond mere display, the museum functions as your primary hub for cataloging every fish, insect, and fossil discovery. This centralized repository prevents valuable finds from cluttering your home storage or being accidentally sold. Curator Blathers oversees all donations and provides essential tools that unlock new exploration capabilities across your island.

The museum’s progression system directly impacts your gameplay advancement. Successfully establishing this institution grants access to the shovel and vaulting pole, two tools critical for accessing previously unreachable areas and maximizing your daily collection potential.

Day 1 Activation: Immediately following the introductory tutorial, approach Tom Nook with five distinct species of fish or insects. He’s compiling these specimens to demonstrate the island’s ecological diversity to potential curator Blathers. Upon submitting the fifth unique specimen, Blathers contacts Tom Nook and commits to arriving tomorrow.

Strategic Location Planning: Tom Nook provides a tent kit for Blathers’ temporary residence and the future museum site. This placement decision carries long-term consequences since building relocation becomes available much later and requires significant financial investment.

Day 2 Advancements: Blathers arrives and begins accepting donations of fish, insects, and unevaluated fossils. Crucially, he provides DIY recipes for both the shovel and vaulting pole, enabling fossil excavation and expanded terrain access.

Critical Building Upgrade: To transition from temporary tent to permanent museum structure, donate 15 additional specimens beyond your initial five. All previously donated items automatically transfer to the completed museum and count toward your collection totals.

Construction Timeline: If you complete all required donations by Day 2, construction begins on Day 3. During this building phase, preserve any new discoveries since Blathers cannot accept donations while the museum upgrades. The completed institution opens on Day 4, featuring enhanced donation processing capabilities.

The April 23rd update introduced the art wing expansion, allowing display of legitimate artworks purchased from Jolly Redd’s Treasure Trawler. Data mining by @_Ninji revealed the prerequisite: 60 cumulative donations across fish, insects, and fossils before this enhancement becomes available.

Efficient Donation Acceleration: Regular players typically achieve the 60-donation threshold within 2-3 weeks through consistent daily collection. Prioritize excavating all four daily fossil spawns and catching seasonal species as they become available.

Art Authentication Protocol: Jolly Redd occasionally visits with artworks of varying authenticity. Carefully inspect each piece for telltale signs of forgeries before purchasing, as Blathers will reject counterfeit items.

Collection Tracking: Monitor your donation progress through the Critterpedia, which indicates which specimens you’ve already contributed to the museum collection.

Location Strategy: Position your museum near central pathways with ample surrounding space for future decorative elements. Avoid cramped areas that might limit exterior exhibition possibilities later.

Donation Management: Always assess fossils before attempting donation and maintain a mental checklist of species still needed for completion.

Avoid These Pitfalls: Don’t waste bells relocating poorly placed museums. Never sell unique specimens before checking if they’re museum donations. Avoid time-traveling during construction phases as it may disrupt the building timeline.

Time Optimization: Schedule daily fossil hunts during morning hours before villagers trample potential spawn sites. Coordinate fishing expeditions with weather patterns for maximum efficiency.

For comprehensive gameplay strategies, consult our Complete Guide covering all aspects of island development and progression systems.

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