How to Unlock and Upgrade the Museum | ACNH - Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)

This guide will show you how to unlock the Museum Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) for the Nintendo Switch. Read on to learn where to put the museum, how to upgrade, how to relocate, and more!

July 3 Museum Update

Donate Sea Creatures to the Museum

After getting the July 3, Ver. 1.3 Summer Update, you'll be able to donate sea creatures caught in the ocean, to the museum. The first time you donate sea creatures to Blathers, you will see an option saying "I found a sea creature!" above "Make a donation."

Choose that new option and you will be able to donate only 1 sea creature. After donating that first sea creature, the "I found a sea creature!" option will no longer appear, you can return to choosing "Make a donation", to donate multiple sea creatures (fish, bugs, fossils, and artwork) at a time.

All Ver. 1.3 Update Links

Sea Creature Guides
Swimming and Diving Guide	Sea Creatures	Catching Tips

How to Unlock the Museum

Fetch 5 Fish or Bugs

Get either 5 fish or bugs and give them Tom Nook in his tent. He will then receive a call from Blathers and give you a tent for you to set up the Museum.

Find Nook In Resident Services

As always, you can find Tom Nook waiting inside of the green Resident Services tent. Talk to him and say “I found a creature!”.

After 5 donations, he'll get a call from Blathers and task you with finding a location for the curator's tent.

Donate 15 Fish or Bugs to Blathers

Blathers will arrive the day after you choose a location for his tent.

Give him any combination of 15 new Bugs and Fish (it doesn't matter which ones you give him, as long as the total is 15).

The Museum will be Ready Two Days Later

After giving 15 donations to Blathers, the tent will go under renovation the following day. From the day after that, you'll be able to access the complete Museum.

How to Upgrade the Museum

How to Get the Art Gallery Upgrade

1. Talk to Blathers about Art

Aftering making 60 Donations to the Museum, of any combination of Fish, Bugs and Fossils, Blathers will tell you that he'd like the Museum to be expanded to showcase works of art.

You might need to talk to him twice if you've met the requirements but Blathers doesn't mention art when you talk to him the first time. After he does, you'll be able to donate artwork to him.

2. Isabelle Mentions a Suspicious Visitor

In her daily broadcast, Isabelle will announce that a "suspicious character" is visiting the island.

If you see this announcement, Redd will be standing somewhere on your island. You won't be able to enter his boat, you need to find him and talk to him!

3. Look for Redd and Buy an Artwork

Once you find and talk to Redd, he will offer to sell you a piece of art.

At first, he will sell it to you at a ridiculous price, but keep talking to him to get a Cousin's Discount, lowering the price to 4,980 Bells.

4. Donate the Work of Art at the Museum

You can donate the bought artwork to Blathers at the Museum.

At this point, the Blathers will apply for an expansion of the Museum to have the Art Gallery added.

5. The Museum Upgrade Takes 2 Days

Once Blathers has applied for the expansion, the Museum will close for renovations the next day.

Just like when the tent was upgraded, the completed Museum will open the day after renovations begin, so it'll take 2 days in total for the upgrade to complete.

With the upgrade, the Art Gallery will be added to the second floor.

List of Museum Appearances

Requirements	Appearance
Make 5 Museum Donations to Tom Nook	Enlarge Blathers' Tent
Make 15 Museum Donations to Blathers	Enlarge First Museum Building
Make 60 total Museum Donations	Museum with Art Gallery Upgrade

What Can You Do At the Museum?

Donate and View Bugs, Fish and Fossils

After you've built the Museum, you will be able to donate any Bugs, Fish and Fossils you find, and view all the Bugs, Fish and Fossils you have previously donated to Blathers.

You can only donate each item once. Try to fill up the whole Museum with all the Bugs, Fish and Fossils in the game!

Fossil Assessment

After you've found a Fossil by digging it up, you can take it to Blathers to assess. This will identify the fossil, both changing its appearance as well as its price.

You should always take new Fossils to Blathers to assess right away. If the fossil assessed is one that you have already donated, either sell it for a high price, or keep it as furniture in your home.

How to Move the Museum

Upgraded Resident Services is required to use this feature.

1. Talk to Tom Nook About Infrastructure

Talk to Tom Nook at Resident Services and select Let's talk about infrastructure.

Moving building will cost you 50,000 Bells so you better have than on hand before progressing.

2. Choose "I want layout changes" and Select the Museum

Say "I want layout changes". You can now select a building to move; from an island home, up to facilities like the tailors and the Museum. Select the Museum.

3. Use the Moving Kit on the New Location

After choosing the new area, select the moving kit from your pockets and use it. You will be able to see how it will look like before you confirm.

You can back out before choosing the location

If you speak to Tom Nook again before choosing the new location, you can cancel relocation. However, once you have decided on a spot, it cannot be cancelled, so be sure to make up your mind 100% beforehand.

4. The Museum will be Relocated the Next Day

The construction site will be put up, and the store will be moved to the new location the next day.

Where Should You Put the Museum?

Close to the Airport

Choosing a spot for the Museum that is close to the Airport will make it easier to deliver bugs, fish and fossils found on Mystery Island Tours to Blathers, descreasing the amount of time you spend going back and forth.

How to Go on a Mystery Island Tour

Move It Anywhere after Unlocking Island Designer

After unlocking Island Designer, you can decorate the vicinity of facilities however you like. At this point, you will also be able to relocate the Museum anywhere you want, including on top of cliffs, so you don't need to worry too much if you dislike the initial spot you picked for the Museum.

How to Use the Island Designer App

Related Articles

How to Unlock Shops and Facilities

ACNH Facilities
Resident Services	Museum
Nook's Cranny	Able Sisters
Airport	Campsite
Harvey's Island & Photopia	Harv's Plaza
Jolly Redd's Treasure Trawler	The Roost