Between news about the reported Gundam live-action movie with Sydney Sweeney, the release of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, and celebrating the 30th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, it’s an incredible time to be a Gundam fan. And an even better one to be a collector and builder of Gunpla models, thanks to Bandai Namco opening the first-ever permanent US-based Gundam store, THE GUNDAM BASE, outside of Chicago.
Announced earlier this year, THE GUNDAM BASE is a mecca for Gunpla, the mega-popular plastic Gundam model kits that have enthralled legions of hobbyists and otaku all around the world. Located at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont, Illinois, THE GUNDAM BASE store offers an immersive experience for newcomers to the hobby, as well as diehard fans—on a totally permanent basis. And today, Nerdist can exclusively reveal that THE GUNDAM BASE will officially open its doors on December 12, 2025.
The sprawling, 3,000-square-foot facility is built around four key pillars: watch, buy, build, and learn. The idea is that Gundam fans can gather at the store to find both rare collectibles and a sense of community with like-minded Gunpla fans. This is great news for Gundam fans and absolutely catastrophic for my wallet because I fear for my impulse control upon entering this store.
In addition to exclusive Gunpla kits and merchandise only available at THE GUNDAM BASE locations, customers can also play the Gundam Card Game TCG, snap photos with a six-foot-tall Gundam Statue, ogle elaborate Gunpla displays, and much more.
To celebrate the opening of the new THE GUNDAM BASE store at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago, Bandai Namco will also be launching THE GUNDAM BASE Pop-Up World Tour. This limited-time experience is located just steps from the main Gundam store and will offer special Gunpla displays, interactive workshops, and feature the following exclusive items:
THE GUNDAM BASE is the latest Gunpla store from the folks at Bandai Namco. The dedicated brick-and-mortar chain of stores began in 2003 in Korea and has slowly expanded to more than 31 stores, operated worldwide. The opening of the new, permant Gundam store near Chicago brings me one step closer to my goal of putting the massive Gundam statue that used to live in Tokyo’s Odaiba Bay next to the Statue of Liberty. But alas, we’ll take things one day at a time, and for now, we can’t wait to see what THE GUNDAM BASE has in store.