Julia Kim
Staff Writer
Six eight-stud LEGO® bricks. Over 915 million ways to combine them. The perfect place to do it: the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine.
The 35,000 square-feet facility held its grand opening on March 30 – only the second discovery center in the country and fifth in the world. It is located across from the Grapevine Mills AMC Theatre, using the space that was previously occupied by Woodward Skatepark, and in July, the interactive center will be accompanied by its sister attraction, the SEA LIFE Aquarium.
The LEGOLAND Discovery Center is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays; to be admitted, visitors must arrive two hours prior to the closing time.
Tickets cost $19.00 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $15.00 for children (ages 3-12); those aged two and under can enter for free. In addition, tickets can also be purchased online for 15 percent off the standard price and for $12.50 per person for visits after 5 p.m.
However, there is a catch for adults: they cannot visit unless they are accompanied by at least one child.
“I did not get the opportunity to enter the [center], but I visited the store,” math teacher Ian VanderSchee said. “The LEGO store was spacious and offered a wide variety of toys from each of their series. I liked the wide selection of not only LEGO toys but also LEGO-themed souvenirs. There was a drawback to the [center] because of the long lines.”
The park – which consists of over two million LEGO blocks – boasts a LEGO Factory and Shop, 4D cinema theatre, princess parlor, café, three-story playground, build-and-test racing track and city play zone. Other rides and attractions include Kingdom Quest, Merlin’s Apprentice, DUPLO® Village and MINILAND®.
The MINILAND, completed after 4,500 hours of building LEGO blocks and 1,500 hours of arranging animations and lighting, is an impressive miniature, not to mention moving, replica of North Texas and highlights 11 iconic landmarks: the American Airlines Center and Victory Park, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Cowboys Stadium, Dallas Arts District, D/FW International Airport, Dealey Plaza, Fair Park, Fort Worth Stockyards, Old Red Courthouse, Reunion Tower and Texas Motor Speedway.
“I visited the center with my younger cousin,” senior Sydney Kapp said. “It was very well made, maximizing the area of the place and efficiently using the available resources. For families with kids, it’s worth going. While it is very interactive, I also really enjoyed observing the architecture completed with LEGO bricks.”
In addition, there is a LEGO Master Model Builder, responsible for the LEGO models built on site. Cal Walsh, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, was selected from over 150 other builders during the “Brick Factor” weekend competition at the Grapevine Mills Mall.
Senior Uzomaka Onyejiaka is also interested in working there.
“I want to apply there because it would be fun to play with toys and get paid for it,” Onyejiaka said. “Working there would allow me to reanimate my childlike tendencies and spirits. I have seen some amazing contraptions and even a [life-size] house made of LEGO blocks – they are colorful and malleable, and the possibilities are endless.”
With over 58 different colors and about 3900 different bricks and elements to choose from, the center is perfect for all.
