How to Get 2nd Floor of Museum ACNL: Unlocking the Secrets of Your Museum's Second Floor in Animal Crossing: New Leaf

The second floor of the museum in Animal Crossing: New Leaf (ACNL) offers a special way to showcase your own custom exhibits. Unlocking it, however, requires a few steps and reflects your engagement with the museum as a whole. To get started, make sure you’ve donated at least one item to each section of the museum: bugs, fish, fossils, and art. After doing so, talk to Blathers over several days—he’ll eventually mention the idea of a second floor for the museum.

Once this conversation is triggered, head to Main Street's public works projects list (at the train station construction desk) and select "Museum Second Floor". The project will cost 198,000 Bells, and the fundraising functions just like any other public works project in your town. After successful fundraising, the museum will be closed for a day, and then the second floor will be open, featuring four custom exhibit rooms that players can decorate with furniture and showcase their collections.

As a designer, I find the museum’s second floor a unique blank canvas. It’s a fantastic way to experiment with furniture placement, color coordination, and curated theming—similar to how a real-life gallery designer might approach an exhibit. Your custom exhibit rooms can become showcases for rare items, diy room decor arrangements, or even miniaturized versions of themed spaces you imagine.

Tips 1:

Consider planning out your exhibit rooms on paper before arranging them in-game. This allows you to experiment with layout ideas, color palettes, and display concepts. Utilizing design tools—much like professional room planners—can help visualize your space and ensure you make the most of the second floor’s potential for creativity.

FAQ

Q: What do I need to unlock the second floor of the museum in ACNL?

A: Donate at least one item to each section (fish, bugs, fossils, art), talk to Blathers, then fund the Museum Second Floor public works project.

Q: How much does the Museum Second Floor cost in ACNL?

A: The project costs 198,000 Bells to fund.

Q: What can I do with the custom exhibits on the second floor?

A: You can display any furniture or items and create themed exhibitions for yourself or visitors.

Q: How long does museum renovation take after funding?

A: The museum will be closed for one day after you finish raising the funds, then the second floor opens the next day.

Q: Do I need to fully complete the museum collections to unlock the second floor?

A: No, you only need to have donated one item per museum category before the option appears.