LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston – Hard Hat Tour 2014

Mom’s Lifesavers was able to see Legoland Discovery Center Boston under construction.  SO cool!

LEGOLAND Discovery Center will open on May 23!

Our First Look at LEGOLAND Discovery Center

We donned hard hats and safety vests and were welcomed by so many friendly faces (many you will remember from the LEGOLAND Discover Center ground breaking – post here), including Ian Coffey, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston’s Master Builder.

Christine had an amazing interview with Ian over the phone, how great to see them meet in person for the first time.

David Gilmore, General Manager of LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston, was our tour guide and I can’t imagine a better suited individual for the job at hand. David was so excited to share the space with us, explaining the flow, rides, play spaces, technology and safety – so much thought and planning has gone into this location – we can’t wait to return for the grand opening. Here are some behind the scenes images of the construction well under way.

LEGOLAND Discover Center Boston Hard Hat Tour March 2014

Sneak Peek of LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston

As part of the Hard Hat Tour of LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston, we received these amazing architectural renderings of what the final construction will look like.

With a mix of indoor rides, a state of the art 4D theater (yes, 4D – that includes what I call ‘smell vision’!), an indoor play space and LEGO brick models of Boston landmarks throughout – LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston is destined to be a family vacation destination!

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston

Q & A with LEGOLAND Discovery Center!

Q. What is LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Boston?

A. LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Boston is a 44,000 square-foot indoor attraction featuring more than 3

million LEGO® bricks, geared toward children aged 3 to 10 and their families.

Q. What does a LEGOLAND® Discovery Center consist of? Is it like the LEGOLAND theme parks in 

California and Florida?

A. A LEGOLAND® Discovery Center is an indoor attraction, unlike LEGOLAND theme parks. It features an

exciting, interactive LEGO® laser ride, Merlin’s Apprentice ride, 4D cinema, party rooms to make that

birthday or celebration even more special and MINILAND® – where guests will see iconic regional

landmarks built from LEGO Bricks. There are over three million Bricks contained within the attraction,

enabling visitors to rediscover their creativity.

Q. What is a 4D cinema? 

A. A 4D cinema is an updated 3D cinema. As well as experiencing 3D images, viewers will feel as if they

are inside the screen. For example, gusts of wind will be felt when LEGO Bricks come flying through the

air.

Q. What does the Kingdom Quest ride consist of? 

A. It is a seated ride where children are taken on an adventure to try to save a princess. They will have

laser guns to shoot LEGO bricks, skeletons and trolls during the 3D experience. The best set designers

will be employed to make the ride feel as realistic as possible and immerse the children in another

world.

a movie in 4D, experiencing day and night scenes in MINILAND, or building the tallest tower ever and

testing it on the earthquake plates. Toddlers will love the DUPLO® village area, featuring oversized soft

play building Bricks.

Q. Does LEGO own LEGOLAND Discovery Center?

A. No. LEGOLAND Discovery Center is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments, Europe’s biggest

and the world’s second biggest visitor attractions operator. Merlin Entertainments also owns UK

attractions such as Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures, plus the

entire SEA LIFE and Dungeons brands, Madame Tussauds London and Warwick Castle.

 

Q. How many LEGOLAND® Discovery Centers are there in the world? Where are they and when were they first developed? 

A. The Boston LEGOLAND Discovery Center will be the sixth to open in the U.S., and 11th LEGOLAND

Discovery Center to open worldwide. The center is scheduled to open in May 2014. The first Center

opened in Berlin in 2007, followed by the second in Duisburg, Germany. The third opened in 2008 in

Chicago. The UK’s first attraction, and fourth to open worldwide was the Manchester attraction.

Q. Are there any plans to open further LEGOLAND Discovery Centers?

A. Absolutely. LEGOLAND Discovery Centers are Merlin’s newest concept, and there are plans to roll out

new sites and a number of prime locations in Europe, U.S., and the Far East.

Q. How long does it take to experience all the attractions in the Center?

A. We would recommend visitors allow 2 – 3 hours to ensure they experience all that LEGOLAND

Discovery Center offers. Of course, guests will be welcome to stay as long as they wish, repeating

activities such as building and testing where model cars are created and time tested on race tracks.

Q. How many visitors are expected to visit Boston’s LEGOLAND Discovery Center? 

A. While we do not normally provide specific visitor numbers, we are excited that we will be delivering

memorable experiences to hundreds of thousands of guests.

Q. Why doesn’t LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston allow admission to adults unaccompanied by a 

child? 

A. LEGOLAND Discovery Center’s primary objective is to provide a safe and fun attraction for families

with children aged 3 to 10 that they can enjoy together. In order to constantly maintain a welcoming

environment in which to play, the Center does not permit entry to groups of adults, adult couples, or

lone adults who are not accompanied by a child or children under the age of 16. As we appreciate the

appeal that LEGO has for all ages, the Center will hold regular evening events specifically for adults in

order to showcase specific attractions within the Center, such as MINILAND, which is constructed from

 over 1.5 million LEGO Bricks.

Q. What does the Merlin’s Apprentice ride consist of? 

A. Enter Merlin’s magical potion room and discover a LEGO wizard’s world of spells and sorcery. As they

circle round and round, children are challenged to pedal as fast as they can to help Merlin conjure his

magic. The harder they pedal the higher they get – all aiming to reach the skies and become Merlin’s top

wizarding apprentice.

Q. Who is the Master Model Builder and what is his / her role?

A. The main tasks for the Master Model Builder involve maintaining and updating the MINILAND models,

building new models and running Master Model Builder Classes, which teach groups of children secrets

for making fantastic LEGO creations.

Q. What will there be in MINILAND?

A. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston’s MINILAND will consist of notable landmarks across the area

including Fenway Park and Boston Common.