Stamp Machine International Museum Day Animal Crossing New Horizons
Image: Nintendo Life

The International Museum Day event arrives in Animal Crossing: New Horizons in the middle of May. This event originally came to the game as part of an update which included old favourite characters Leif the Sloth, dodgy art dealer Redd, Wedding Season and more.

But what exactly is International Museum Day? Is it another festival like the egg-filled Bunny Day? In this guide you'll find out exactly what to expect from the International Museum Day event in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, including the rewards you can get from completing it.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Stamp Rally and International Museum Day Event

When is International Museum Day in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

The misleadingly-named International Museum Day in New Horizons isn't a single day at all — the event lasts from 18 May to 31st May, so far from being a blink-and-you'll-miss-it deal, it spans the entire second half of May.

Blathers Stamp Rally Animal Crossing New Horizons
Image: Nintendo Life

What happens on International Museum Day in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Visiting Blathers in the museum during the International Museum Day event enables you to participate in a commemorative Stamp Rally to mark the occasion. By finding three special stamp machines in the fish, fossil, bug and art exhibits throughout the museum, you'll be able to claim in-game rewards.

Where are the stamp machines in the museum?

Each of the four exhibits has three stamp machines, and they are very easy to find by simply exploring the museum. The stamp machine locations vary day-to-day and island-to-island.

Here are a list of the possible stamp machines locations (we'll continue to add to this list until it's complete):

Possible Fish Exhibit Stamp machine locations:

  • Abyss
  • Big River
  • Coral Reef
  • Headwaters
  • Icy Sea
  • Serentity Tank
  • The Coast
  • The Deep
  • The Pond

Possible Fossil Exhibit Stamp machine locations:

  • Aquatic Reptiles
  • Cenozoic
  • Extinction Spot
  • Pterosaurs
  • Mollusks/Anthropods
  • Synapsids
  • Vertebrates

Possible Bug Exhibit Stamp machine locations:

  • Butterfly Garden
  • Coconut Corner
  • Dragonfly Bridge
  • Giant Tree
  • Hiding Bugs
  • Quiet Bench
  • Shady Path
  • Sun-Peek Path
  • The Lab

Possible Art Gallery Stamp machine locations:

  • Art from the East - section to the immediate right
  • Art from the West - section to the far right
  • Baroque Gallery - near back of the gallery
  • Sculpture Exhibit - in the lower area or mid-right

What rewards do you get for completing the Stamp Rally?

After collecting each of the three stamps in an exhibit, talk to Blathers and he will reward you with a plaque to hang on the wall in your home. There are four plaques to collect and display proudly around your abode (one for each exhibit). Here's one of our happy Mii characters celebrating with theirs:

AC Museum Day Plaques
Image: Nintendo Life

It's possible to collect multiple copies of these plaques by completing the Stamp Rally each day. Not particularly useful, but hey, maybe you want to gift the plaques to your residents, or build yourself a plaque-filled room filled with nothing but Stamp Rally rewards. Fill your boots from 18th - 31st May!

Does the art exhibit have stamp machines?

Yes! In 2020, the art exhibit didn't play a part in the Stamp Rally. However, Nintendo added the Art Gallery to the list of locations in the April 27th 2021 update.

Do you need to have donated lots of fish, bugs and fossils for the Stamp Rally?

It seems that the number of specimens that you have donated to the museum doesn't affect your ability to collect stamps. It's a simple case of finding the machines throughout the museum and collecting the stamps.

How can I prepare for International Museum Day in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Well, you really don't need to do much beside unlocking and upgrading the museum itself. To do so you'll have to start donating fish, bugs and fossils to Blathers (or Tom Nook at the very beginning of the game).

Donating specimens to the museum is something many people do as a matter of course, but if you've been selling your catches for Bells and neglecting the cultural development of your town, there's never been a better time to get philanthropic.


This article is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons walkthrough, which includes a Complete Fish List, Complete Bug List and Complete Sea Creatures List. If you're looking for specific fish or bug, we can tell you how to catch the elusive Coelacanth, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevally, Stringfish, Golden Trout and all the Sharks and Beetles, along with a full list of Critters leaving at the end of the month. We've also compiled a Complete Villager List and a Complete List of K.K. Slider Songs, as well as the Best Custom Design Codes and Islands we've found so far, and the best islands to visit using Dream Address Codes.

We can also help with How to Spot Redd's Fake Paintings and Statues, How to Make Bells Fast, How to Breed Flowers, How to Get more DIY Recipes, How to Upgrade Nook's Cranny, where and when to find special characters like Gulliver, Sable, Label, Wisp, Celeste, Pirate Gulliver and Jack, plus tips on using the Star Wand, Tool Ring, Rock Trick, Cutting Down and Moving Trees, using amiibo on Harv's Island, How to Back Up Your Island Data, How to Time Travel, How to Get a 5-Star Island Rating and a whole lot more.

And finally Where to Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game.