Pikachu and Eevee deliver exclusive Pokémon merch to the Natural History Museum

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Pokémon has announced an upcoming pop-up shop in London’s Natural History Museum. The installation is set to feature all-new, exclusive merchandise, including an adorable Pikachu plush that’s sure to bring a sparkle to many collectors’ eyes.

While this collaboration isn’t a Pokémon Center pop-up, like those found at premier competitive events, it will transform the Natural History Museum’s Cranbourne Boutique into a unique gift shop, combining the series’ notable characters with the attraction’s various exhibits. As fossil Pokémon have featured in the series since the first generation, a museum is the perfect place to hold this celebration for Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.

Director of Commercial and Visitor Experience for the Natural History Museum, Adam Farrar, says, “There is such a wonderful alignment between Pokémon and the Natural History Museum – we’re obviously both big fans of the natural world and its evolution and diversity. We hope this collaboration will spark joy and curiosity in the creatures around us, both in the world of Pokémon and Earth.”

As far as we know, the exclusive pop-up shop is the only part of this collaboration, but other events worldwide give me hope that the Natural History Museum might get more involved in Pokémon archeology in the future. Museums in Japan have been running Pokémon Fossil Museum events since 2021, letting visitors participate in Pokémon fossil digs and compare Tyrannosaurus bones with an imagined Tyrantrum skeleton. In fact, this exhibition is set to land in Chicago’s Field Museum in spring 2026, so I’m optimistic that we’ll get something similar in the UK and the rest of Europe.

When can I visit the Pokémon pop-up shop at the Natural History Museum?

The Pokémon pop-up shop in the Natural History Museum’s Cranbourne Boutique opens on January 26, 2026, and closes on March 22, 2026. You’ll also be able to buy the full range on the Natural History Museum’s webshop from January 2026, and certain items are set to appear on the UK Pokémon Center website. While entry to the pop-up shop is free, you need to reserve a ticket on the Natural History Museum website. Ticket reservations open on October 1, 2025.

I sincerely hope that this pop-up is just the first in a long line of in-person events to celebrate Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. With the Pokémon Legends: Z-A release date just around the corner, it’s hard for me to think about anything else at the moment. Maybe we’ll also see a tie-in Pokémon Go event, highlighting fossil Pokémon like Archeops and Omanyte? We’ll have to wait and see.