The museum in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the most rewarding long-term goals in the game. Completing Blathers’ collection — all 73 fossils, 80 fish, 80 bugs, and 43 pieces of art — takes real commitment, but the payoff is enormous: a fully stocked museum is a living showcase of your island’s story. This animal crossing museum guide covers every wing, every rare donation, and every shortcut to help you fill those display cases faster.
Museum Overview: Blathers and the Four Wings
The museum is run by Blathers, a bookish owl who accepts donations of fossils, fish, bugs, and art. It opens early in your island’s development — donate 15 combined fish or bugs to Tom Nook, and Blathers arrives the next day in a tent. Upgrade that tent by donating 15 more unique items, and the full museum building unlocks.
Once open, the museum contains four distinct wings:
- Fossil Hall — 73 individual fossil pieces arranged into complete dinosaur skeletons and standalone exhibits.
- Fish Wing — 80 species in illuminated tanks, sorted by habitat (river, river clifftop, pond, sea, pier).
- Bug Wing — 80 species pinned and displayed across naturalist-style dioramas.
- Art Gallery — 43 paintings and sculptures sourced from Jolly Redd, displayed in a classical gallery setting.
Each wing has a completion cinematic: when you donate the final piece to any wing, Blathers delivers a short speech and the display updates with a special flourish. The museum also hosts annual Stamp Rally events tied to its birthday on May 18.
Completing the entire museum is not a sprint. It realistically takes 12–18 months of real-time play because fish, bugs, and some fossils are seasonal or time-locked. The good news: with the right strategy and trading, you can dramatically cut that timeline.
How to Donate Items to Blathers
The process is simple. Talk to Blathers and select “I found a fossil!”, “I found a creature!”, or “I found some art!”. Blathers will assess the item and either accept it (new to the museum) or politely decline it as a duplicate. Duplicates are yours to sell or trade.
A few rules to know:
- Blathers assesses fossils for free — you no longer need to wait for assessment. Just donate directly.
- You can donate multiple items in one visit. Queue them all up.
- Items already in the museum are marked with a blue museum icon in your inventory, so you always know what is new.
- There is no daily limit on donations. If you somehow acquire 20 new fish in one day, donate all 20.
For a broader look at island management and progression, see our Animal Crossing: New Horizons Beginner’s Guide.
Fossil Collection Guide
Where to Find Fossils Every Day
Every day, 3–4 fossils spawn on your island marked by a star-shaped crack in the ground. Walk the entire island each morning with your shovel and look for those X marks. They appear in random locations on flat ground — check all grass areas, not just the beach.
If you do not dig up fossils one day, they do not roll over. New ones spawn regardless, so always clear the previous day’s fossils to maximise your daily yield. A full fossil route takes about five minutes.
Blathers identifies every fossil instantly. Donate any you have not yet given him. Sell duplicates to Nook’s Cranny for 1,000–6,000 Bells depending on the fossil.
Complete Fossil List: All 73 Pieces
Fossils come as multi-piece creatures or standalone exhibits. Here is every fossil grouped by creature:
| Creature | Pieces | Fossil Names |
|---|---|---|
| T. Rex | 3 | T. Rex skull, T. Rex torso, T. Rex tail |
| Stegosaurus | 3 | Stego skull, Stego torso, Stego tail |
| Triceratops | 3 | Tricera skull, Tricera torso, Tricera tail |
| Pteranodon | 3 | Ptera skull, Ptera torso, Ptera left wing, Ptera right wing |
| Brachiosaurus | 4 | Brachio skull, Brachio chest, Brachio pelvis, Brachio tail |
| Brontosaurus | 3 | Bronto skull, Bronto torso, Bronto tail |
| Ankylosaurus | 3 | Ankylo skull, Ankylo torso, Ankylo tail |
| Parasaurolophus | 3 | Parasaur skull, Parasaur torso, Parasaur tail |
| Iguanodon | 3 | Iguanodon skull, Iguanodon torso, Iguanodon tail |
| Saber-toothed Tiger | 2 | Sabertooth skull, Sabertooth torso |
| Mammoth | 2 | Mammoth skull, Mammoth torso |
| Plesiosaurus | 3 | Plesio skull, Plesio neck, Plesio torso |
| Mosasaurus | 2 | Mosa skull, Mosa neck |
| Archaeopteryx | 1 | Archaeopteryx |
| Dimetrodon | 2 | Dimetrodon skull, Dimetrodon torso |
| Diplo | 6 | Diplo skull, Diplo neck, Diplo chest, Diplo hip, Diplo tail, Diplo tail tip |
| Pachycephalosaurus | 2 | Pachy skull, Pachy tail |
| Shark Tooth | 1 | Shark-tooth pattern |
| Ammonite | 1 | Ammonite |
| Anomalocaris | 1 | Anomalocaris |
| Coprolite | 1 | Coprolite |
| Dinosaur Egg | 1 | Dinosaur egg |
| Dino Droppings | 1 | Dino droppings |
| Fern Fossil | 1 | Fern fossil |
| Spino | 4 | Spino skull, Spino torso, Spino tail |
| Trilobite | 1 | Trilobite |
Trading Fossils Online for Missing Pieces
Random RNG means you will repeatedly dig up the same fossils while others refuse to appear. Trading is the fastest fix. The Nookazon trading platform and the r/ACTrade subreddit are the main hubs. Most common fossils are free trades; rarer pieces like Diplo tail tip or Ptera right wing may cost a few Bells or a star fragment.
Alternatively, use the Nookipedia fossil tracker at nookipedia.com — it lists exactly which pieces are part of which creature, making it easy to identify your gaps and post targeted trade requests.
Fish Wing Guide
The 80 Fish: Habitats and Locations
The fish wing requires all 80 unique fish species. Fish are caught with a fishing rod in five habitats: river (lower), river (clifftop), pond, sea, and pier. The habitat matters: a sea fish will never appear in the river no matter how long you wait.
Use fish bait to spawn fish in a specific location instantly. Craft bait from manila clams dug on the beach (one clam = one bait). For rare fish tied to specific spawn points — like the Golden Trout which only appears on clifftop rivers — bait eliminates hours of waiting.
Northern Hemisphere Seasonal Fish Calendar
Many fish only appear during specific months. Missing their window means waiting a full year. These are the most time-critical Northern Hemisphere species:
| Fish | Location | Months Available | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coelacanth | Sea (rain only) | All year | Any (rain required) |
| Golden Trout | River (clifftop) | Mar–May, Sep–Nov | 4 AM–9 PM |
| Stringfish | River (clifftop) | Dec–Mar | 4 PM–9 AM |
| Great White Shark | Sea | Jun–Sep | 4 PM–9 AM |
| Whale Shark | Sea | Jun–Sep | All day |
| Saw Shark | Sea | Jun–Sep | 4 PM–9 AM |
| Hammerhead Shark | Sea | Jun–Sep | 4 PM–9 AM |
| Oarfish | Sea | Dec–May | All day |
| Sturgeon | Sea (river mouth) | Sep–Mar | All day |
| Napoleonfish | Sea | Jul–Aug | 4 AM–9 PM |
The Coelacanth deserves special mention. It is available year-round but only spawns during rain. When it rains, drop everything and fish the sea. Its shadow is large and it is worth 15,000 Bells, making rain one of the most exciting events on the island.
Check which seasonal fish are available and departing soon via the ACNH Seasonal Events 2026 Guide to plan your museum runs around real-world calendar months.
Night-Only Fish
Several museum fish only appear after dark (9 PM–4 AM). The most notable are the Bitterling (river, Nov–Feb), Gar (pond, Jun–Sep), and Barreleye (sea, all year). If you play exclusively during the day, these will permanently block your fish wing completion.
Bug Wing Guide
The 80 Bugs: Day vs Night vs Seasonal
Bugs are split into day-active, night-active, and seasonal species. The bug wing is notoriously the hardest wing to complete because many bugs require specific conditions: time of day, month, weather, or the presence of specific island features.
Key principles:
- Night-only bugs (9 PM–4 AM): Atlas Moth, Goliath Beetle, Golden Stag, Horned Hercules, Horned Atlas, Horned Elephant. These are the rarest and most valuable bugs in the game. All are summer-only.
- Day-only bugs: Emperor Butterfly, Great Purple Emperor, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing — appear in bushes and flowers.
- Rainy weather only: Centipede (logs, rocks), Pill Bug (rocks).
- Tree-specific bugs: Stag beetles and longhorn beetles appear on hardwood and cedar trees respectively.
Tarantula Island: Museum Donation and Bell Farming
The Tarantula — worth 8,000 Bells each — also has to be donated to the museum. The famous Tarantula Island farming method involves visiting a mystery island (Nook Miles Ticket) and clearing it of all vegetation except bamboo shoots, which prevents other bugs from spawning. Tarantulas then respawn rapidly.
For the museum, you only need one Tarantula. But if you are farming Bells, a Tarantula island session can yield 200,000–300,000 Bells per hour. The Northern Hemisphere window is November through April, 7 PM–4 AM.
Scorpions serve the same role in the Southern Hemisphere (October–April, 7 PM–4 AM).
Dung Beetle and Winter Bugs
The Dung Beetle is one of the most commonly missed museum bugs. It only spawns when there is snow on the ground (December–February, Northern Hemisphere) and only appears rolling a snowball. Without active snowballs on your island — which despawn if you do not interact with them — Dung Beetles will not appear. Always leave snowballs intact in winter.
Other winter exclusives: Man-faced Stink Bug (September–November and March, plus winter months), Jewel Beetle (only in summer), Walker Cicada (July–August only).
Golden Stag and Other October Bugs
October brings some of the game’s most elusive museum entries. The Horned Hercules, Horned Elephant, and Horned Atlas all appear exclusively on palm trees at night during summer. If you have no palm trees on your island, plant some. They require flat beach ground to grow.
Art Gallery Guide
How to Get Redd to Visit Your Island
Jolly Redd is the art dealer who sells paintings and sculptures from his anchored ship, the Treasure Trawler. He visits your island roughly once every two weeks — there is no fixed schedule, but a two-week average is consistent across player reports (Nookipedia confirms the mechanics).
To unlock Redd:
- Reach a 3-star island rating (Isabelle confirms via announcements).
- Talk to Blathers and see his artwork wish list cutscene.
- Redd will appear on the northern beach the next possible visit day.
- Buy one piece from him on that first visit, regardless of whether it is real or fake.
- Redd then anchors offshore and visits periodically from there.
Each Redd visit brings four art pieces — always three real and one fake, or two real and two fake. You can buy one piece per visit. The fake is always present to catch out inattentive buyers.
Spotting Fake Art: Complete Tell List
Every fake has a visible difference from the original. Here are the most important fakes to know:
| Art Piece | Real vs Fake Tell |
|---|---|
| Mona Lisa (Mysterious Painting) | Fake: subject’s right eyebrow is thicker and more arched |
| Starry Night (Starry Canvas) | Fake: extra swirl above the village on the left |
| Girl with Pearl Earring (Graceful Painting) | Fake: subject is looking directly at the viewer (real looks slightly away) |
| Great Wave (Wistful Painting) | Fake: Mt Fuji is larger and proportionally wrong |
| Venus de Milo (Gallant Statue) | Fake: statue is holding an apple in one arm |
| Discobolus (Robust Statue) | Fake: weight is in left hand instead of right |
| Winged Victory (Amazing Art) | Fake: statue has a head (real is headless) |
| David (Valiant Statue) | Fake: left hand holds a bag |
| Thinker (Tremendous Statue) | Fake: fist is resting on a different knee |
| Birth of Venus (Scenic Painting) | Fake: Venus’s hair blows in the opposite direction |
Some art pieces — including the Calm Painting (A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte) and the Solemn Painting (Las Meninas) — have no fake version and are always safe to buy.
Art Gallery Progress: What to Expect
With 43 art pieces and a visit every two weeks, completing the art gallery takes a minimum of 86 weeks (about 22 months) if you buy correctly every single time. In practice, you will occasionally be offered art you already own, so plan on 18–24 months of diligent Redd visits.
The art gallery is the most time-constrained wing purely due to Redd’s infrequent appearances. Use the two-week window strategically: if Redd is offering something you own already, check the full inventory carefully before leaving — a second real piece may be available among the four.
Museum Stamp Rally Events
Every year on May 18 — the museum’s in-game birthday — a Stamp Rally event runs for three days. Stamp stations appear in each wing of the museum. Collect all stamps from a wing and bring the completed card to Blathers to earn a Museum Plaque furniture item (one per wing).
Complete all four wings’ stamp cards and Blathers rewards you with a Blathers’ Balloon furniture item — a unique piece only available during this event.
To prepare for Stamp Rally:
- Make sure your Switch system clock is set to May 18 (or wait for it naturally).
- The event runs May 18–20. You have three full days to collect all stamps.
- You do not need a complete museum to participate — stamp stations appear regardless of how many items you have donated.
For a full calendar of time-limited events, see the ACNH Seasonal Events 2026 Guide.
Tips for Completing the Museum Faster
1. Use a companion app or Nookipedia tracker. The official Nintendo Switch Online ACNH companion app and the Nookipedia museum checklist both let you mark off exactly what you have donated. Without a tracker, you will constantly forget whether you have donated a specific fish variant or fossil piece. Set this up before you start seriously pursuing completion.
2. Set seasonal alarms. When a rare seasonal fish or bug becomes available — or is about to leave — set an actual phone alarm. The Stringfish leaves at the end of March; the summer sharks leave in September. These month boundaries are easy to miss.
3. Island hop with Nook Miles Tickets for rare bugs. Mystery islands occasionally spawn rare bugs not present on your home island. This is the fastest way to find Tarantulas, Golden Stags, and Giant Water Bugs out of season.
4. Trade duplicates for gaps. Every time Blathers refuses a fossil or fish, list it for trade. The ACNH community is active and trades are usually fast for common items. Focus your own play time on the items you cannot trade — time-gated seasonal catches.
5. Do not skip rain. The Coelacanth is the only fish that requires rain. When the weather turns wet, go fishing in the sea immediately. Rain events are short and unpredictable — treating them as urgent museum opportunities pays off.
6. Plant palm trees for summer beetle farming. The Horned Hercules and related giant beetles only spawn on palm trees at night in summer. If your island lacks beach palms, plant coconuts at the start of spring so they mature by summer.
For more ways to maximise your island progression, see our guide to the Best Life Sim Games 2026 for perspective on how ACNH compares to other long-form life sim experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many items are in the ACNH museum total?
276 items in total: 73 fossils, 80 fish, 80 bugs, and 43 art pieces. All must be donated to Blathers to complete the museum.
How do you get Redd to visit more often?
You cannot directly trigger Redd’s visits. He appears on a semi-random schedule averaging roughly every two weeks. Having friends who also have Redd visiting lets you travel to their island and buy art from their Redd — this is the fastest legitimate way to accelerate art gallery completion.
Is it possible to actually complete the museum?
Yes, many players have achieved 100% museum completion. It typically takes 12–24 months of consistent play, with active trading and seasonal awareness. The art gallery is almost always the last wing to complete due to Redd’s visit frequency.
What is the rarest item in the ACNH museum?
Functionally, the Stringfish is considered the hardest catch — it only appears on clifftop rivers, only from 4 PM to 9 AM, and only from December to March. The Coelacanth is commonly cited as rare due to its rain-only spawn. Among art, no piece is rarer than another since all are available from Redd, but some simply take longer to appear.
How do you catch the Coelacanth?
Fish in the sea (not the river) during rain. The Coelacanth’s shadow is the largest sea fish shadow in the game. Use fish bait on the beach to rapidly cycle spawn points during a rain event.
Does Blathers charge for fossil identification?
No. In New Horizons, Blathers identifies fossils for free and instantly. Talk to him, select the fossil assessment option, and he will immediately tell you what it is — and whether the museum already has it.
Can you put fake art in your house?
Yes. Fake art that Blathers refuses can be displayed as furniture in your home or placed outside on your island. Some players deliberately collect the fakes for the humour of it.
Sources
- Nookipedia — Animal Crossing: New Horizons Museum and Fossil pages (nookipedia.com)
- Game8 — ACNH Museum Completion Guide and Fish/Bug seasonal charts (game8.co)
- Nintendo Life — ACNH Art Gallery Fake Tell Guide (nintendolife.com)
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.