All the Museums Welcoming the Pokémon Epidemic | Insta of the Week

A photo posted by Crystal Bridges Museum (@crystalbridgesmuseum) on Jul 7, 2016 at 2:02pm PDT

Love ‘em, hate ‘em, or gotta catch ‘em, Pokémon are still making headlines more than a week after the launch of Nintendo and Niantic Labs' new app, Pokémon Go. With more downloads than Tinder, more active users than Twitter, and more engagement time than Facebook, the app has become an overnight behemoth—but not without making a few Poké-faux pas.

When one visitor made the distasteful discovery of the poison gas Pokémon Koffing at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., it seemed like developers Nintendo and Niantic Labs had been too careless for their own good. Yet, many museums have seen an uptick in foot traffic due to players searching for Pokestops—landmarks that supply them with Pokeballs and other items—within their hallowed walls. Art museums in particular have been welcoming, including pictures of their new digital residents on their official Instagram and Twitter accounts. Here are some of the best art museums in the world, fully embracing our new mixed-reality world on social media for all to see.

We have two #PokemonGo Poké Stops at the museum! Or should we say Mew-seum? Did you know that we have video games like Pac-Man and Minecraft in our design collection? Tap the link in our bio to learn more. [Psyduck and Voltorb at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Images: Gretchen Scott]

A photo posted by MoMA The Museum of Modern Art (@themuseumofmodernart) on Jul 14, 2016 at 12:44pm PDT

It's official, Pokémon have reached the Museum…. and it's obvious that they love art, as you can tell by this #MauriceSterne-loving Magikarp caught by BKM staff members, @real_cg and @sarahhaimes in our #BKMAmerican galleries. #PokemonGo

A photo posted by Brooklyn Museum (@brooklynmuseum) on Jul 11, 2016 at 2:29pm PDT

Life imitating art. #PokemonGo #WhitneyPortraits

A photo posted by Whitney Museum of American Art (@whitneymuseum) on Jul 14, 2016 at 11:54am PDT

Pokémon have invaded the Art Institute! Catch them if you can and find 14 PokéStops in and around the museum. ‪#‎PokemonGO‬

A photo posted by The Art Institute of Chicago (@artinstitutechi) on Jul 11, 2016 at 4:05pm PDT

Your one-stop-shop for contemporary art, potions, and pokeballs  #pokemongo #pokespot

A photo posted by New Museum (@newmuseum) on Jul 11, 2016 at 7:29am PDT

Let me show you our pokémons. @nofrodelius is our on-staff Pokemaster, catching 'em all, NBD.  #PokemonGO

A video posted by SAM (@seattleartmuseum) on Jul 12, 2016 at 1:09pm PDT

Spotted: A Pidgey by the #Chihuly and a Venonat in the #Monet room. Can you #CatchEmAll at the MFA? #PokemonGO

A photo posted by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (@mfaboston) on Jul 11, 2016 at 2:08pm PDT

Spotted: a Poliwag about to play #TRON at our #ArcadeClassics exhibit! #PokemonGo #Pokestop #gottacatchemall #games #gaming #retrogaming 

A photo posted by Museum of the Moving Image (@movingimagenyc) on Jul 14, 2016 at 7:48am PDT

The Pidgey flew into the Panorama to get a good view of NYC. Pokémon Go users, be careful with your phones catching this one! #pokemon #gottacatchemall

A photo posted by Queens Museum (@queensmuseum) on Jul 13, 2016 at 7:49am PDT

Come through. #PokemonGo #Jigglypuff #Monet #GettyMuseum

A photo posted by The Getty (@thegetty) on Jul 11, 2016 at 2:54pm PDT

Attention #Pokemon trainers: Join us tonight for a Pokémon Go meetup. There will be lures both in and outside of the @philamuseum, art, and Pay What You Wish admission from 5:00–8:45 p.m. Show us what you catch by using #PokemonGo and tagging @philamuseum.

A photo posted by Philadelphia Museum of Art (@philamuseum) on Jul 13, 2016 at 12:10pm PDT

LACMA's campus and galleries are teeming with #PokemonGO! Visit the museum to catch 'em all. https://t.co/Tx30vkmCRH pic.twitter.com/DLvtPLXtR4

— LACMA (@LACMA) July 11, 2016

Ron Mueck's Big Man couldn't resist #PokemonGO: https://t.co/Bz1OhevSqs #PokeGoWalk pic.twitter.com/UopA4EQ9gz

— Hirshhorn (@hirshhorn) July 12, 2016

Catch some art. Catch some Pokémon. We found this Zubat hanging out by Arian Kang's 'Digital Book Project' (2016) #PokémonGO #gottacatchemall #Pokémon #pokestop

A photo posted by MCA Australia (@mca_australia) on Jul 11, 2016 at 11:42pm PDT

Read more about Pokemon Go’s unexpected effects on the real world here.

Related:

10 Totally Unintentional 'Pokémon Go' Effects on Society

I’m the First (and Maybe Final) Professional 'Pokémon GO' Trainer

The Wild Pokémon Fighting Game of Our Dreams Appears