2026 is shaping up to be a massive year for Pokémon and museum collaborations. With two major exhibits launching on both sides of the Atlantic, collectors and fans are buzzing about exclusive merchandise and, most importantly, promo cards. Here’s everything you need to know about these events and why the approach to promos this time around is particularly interesting.
London’s Natural History Museum: The “Pikachu at the Museum” Jumbo Promo
The Pokémon Company International and London’s Natural History Museum have partnered for a “Pokécology”-themed pop-up shop running from January 26 through April 19, 2026. The collaboration draws inspiration from the acclaimed Japanese publication Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology, exploring how Pokémon live and interact with their environments—a natural fit for one of the world’s premier natural history institutions.
The star of the show for collectors is the “Pikachu at the Museum” oversized promo card, featuring adorable artwork of Pikachu walking through a museum hall adorned with fossils of Aerodactyl and Tyrantrum. This commemorative jumbo card is available as a gift with purchase at the museum’s pop-up shop, and starting January 30, it will also be available at select UK retailers.
Key details on the promo:
• Available as a gift with purchase at the Cranbourne Boutique pop-up shop (January 26 – April 19)
• Rollout to select UK retailers starting January 30, 2026
• Limited to one per customer
• NOT available online—in-store only
• Unnumbered Black Star promo
All tickets for the museum pop-up have already sold out, but the retailer distribution gives fans who couldn’t secure tickets a legitimate path to the card.
Why the Jumbo Format Matters: Lessons from Van Gogh
If you were paying attention in late 2023, you remember the chaos that erupted at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum when the “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” promo launched. Scalpers swarmed the museum, videos showed crowds rushing the gift shop, and the museum was forced to suspend card distribution just four days after opening.
The Natural History Museum and The Pokémon Company clearly learned from that debacle. By making the London promo an oversized jumbo card, they’ve made a calculated move to reduce scalper interest. Jumbo cards don’t fit in standard binders, can’t be used in competitive play, and historically command far less resale value than standard-sized promos. As one Reddit user put it: “I love how their scalping prevention is ‘let’s make it a jumbo, nobody cares about jumbos.’”
This doesn’t mean the card won’t have collector value, the artwork is genuinely excellent, and it marks Pokémon’s first official collaboration with a UK museum.
Chicago’s Field Museum: Pokémon Fossil Museum Comes to North America
Meanwhile, Stateside collectors have the Pokémon Fossil Museum to look forward to. Opening May 22, 2026 and running through April 11, 2027 at Chicago’s Field Museum.
The exhibit brings together the worlds of paleontology and Pokémon, displaying life-sized Fossil Pokémon models alongside real fossils from the Field Museum’s legendary collection. Visitors will see Tyrantrum next to SUE the T. rex, Archeops alongside the Chicago Archaeopteryx, and other fossil Pokémon paired with their real-world inspirations. An “Excavator Pikachu” mascot guides visitors through the experience.
As of now, no promo card has been announced for the Chicago exhibit. This is notable given the success of museum promos (and the chaos they can cause), it would be surprising if The Pokémon Company didn’t release some kind of commemorative item. Collectors should keep an eye on announcements as the May opening approaches.
What This Means for Collectors
The “Pikachu at the Museum” jumbo represents an interesting evolution in how The Pokémon Company approaches exclusive promos. Rather than creating a feeding frenzy with standard-sized cards, they’re testing whether fans will embrace a format that prioritizes the art and commemoration over investment potential.
For the London card specifically, if you’re UK-based or have connections there, the January 30 retailer rollout is your best bet.
For the Chicago exhibit, stay tuned. The extended run through April 2027 suggests The Pokémon Company expects significant attendance, and a nearly year-long exhibition provides plenty of runway for merchandise and potential promo releases. If past Japanese runs of the Fossil Museum are any indication, there could be exclusive items announced closer to opening.
These museum collaborations represent Pokémon’s continued push into cultural institutions and for collectors, they offer unique items that bridge the franchise’s pop culture dominance with legitimate educational experiences. Whether The Pokémon Company can prevent another Van Gogh-style meltdown remains to be seen, but the jumbo card strategy suggests they’re at least trying to learn from the past.