Science Museum Pokémon Trail Opens October 2: How to Book Shop Entry

The Science Museum in London opens a free Pokémon Space Trail on Friday 2 October 2026, running until Sunday 3 January 2027. The trail places Pokémon characters in nine stops across the museum’s galleries alongside European space science, and a separate Pokémon x ESA Shop opens on the museum’s mezzanine for the same dates, according to the Science Museum’s event page.

The trail is free, but you need to book museum entry, and the shop has its own free timed tickets. If you are building a wider London day around the visit, our Tower of London visit guide covers another major sight that also works best with a timed booking.

What the Space Trail Includes

The Science Museum describes the trail as a nine stop route that pairs Pokémon with stories from European space science, created with the European Space Agency and The Pokémon Company International. Free trail guides are available in the Energy Hall.

Blooloop reports that the installations feature Pikachu, Lunatone and Arceus, and that the Space gallery stop links to the NASA and ESA Artemis programme to return people to the Moon.

The opening week also overlaps World Space Week, from 4 to 10 October, and Time Out London reports special Pokémon GO encounters and Timed Research tasks linked to the event.

Booking the Shop Is a Separate Step

The Pokémon x ESA Shop is where most of the pressure will be. The museum says you must book a free timed ticket to visit it, even if you already have museum entry. Tickets are released on Fridays in weekly batches: the first release on 18 September 2026 covered the early dates, and weekly releases continue from 2 October.

That means the first weeks may already be gone. If you have a fixed date, check the next Friday release rather than assuming you can walk in. Entry to the shop does not guarantee that any product will still be in stock.

The shop is on the mezzanine, with step-free access via Lift B in the Energy Hall, between the café and the main museum shop.

Purchase Limits and Stock

The museum limits the most wanted items. Purchases of the Astronaut Pikachu figurine and the two Astronaut Pikachu plushes are limited to one per timed ticket, and other selected items carry their own limits. The range also covers clothing, stationery and Pokémon Trading Card Game products from the Scarlet and Violet series only, according to the shop page.

Because limits are per ticket, a family booking several shop tickets can buy more than one set, but only if stock remains at their time slot.

Hours, Lates and Other Details

The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 and closed from 24 to 26 December. A Pokémon x ESA Late on Thursday 26 November 2026 needs its own booking; Time Out describes it as an adults only evening with after hours access, talks and gaming.

Time Out also reports Pokémon games in the Power Up gallery, from Pokémon Snap to Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Check the museum’s site for how Power Up entry works on your date before promising it to children.

Getting There and Timing Your Visit

The Science Museum is on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, a short walk from South Kensington Underground station, and shares the street with the Natural History Museum and the V&A. Weekends and London school half term in late October are likely to be the busiest periods, so a weekday morning slot gives the best chance of a calmer trail and a shop visit with fuller shelves.

Allow time for the trail itself as well as the shop queue. With nine stops spread across different galleries, the route takes you through much of the building rather than a single exhibition room.