A wild Pokémon appears! And another! And another! The Pokémon Go epidemic continues to sweep the nation, and the augmented reality game has established a presence at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, too.
Pokémon Go is a location-based augmented reality mobile game developed by Niantic. It is based on fictional cartoon-like creatures called Pokémon, which humans (known as Pokémon Trainers) catch and train to battle each other.
For all it’s acclaim and controversy, the big story regarding social life this week is the rise of the game reportedly reaching continuous peaks of popularity.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, moreover, is one of many sites to find catchable Pokémon—including Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and the super rare Snorlax. In addition, the museum also houses a Pokémon Gym and ten Pokéstops.
There has been controversy surrounding the presence of the game in public spaces. The Washington Post, for instance, noted complaints of the game in the Holocaust Museum. But the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis embraces the idea of pop culture topics as a tool for intergenerational learning.
With former exhibits on Barbie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, and Rock ‘n’ Roll, the museum aims to entertain as well as educate, according to a press release.
“The Pokémon Go fad has become a pop-up experience throughout the museum and across the globe to fuel these family moments,” said a museum representative.
“We encourage families to come to the museum to engage and play in a fun, safe way—all while becoming Pokémon Masters! Please note, visitors do have to pay general admission to explore the opportunities of ‘catching ‘em all,’ but can explore the outside grounds and the Welcome Center free of charge.”
