My son LOVES to play with LEGOS, so it was a complete no brainer to take him to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago for his third birthday. My husband, son and I had an absolute blast! When we first arrived, just the outside alone was was breathtaking. Judging by the outside of the building, I knew there was creative magic that waited just beyond the doors. Ticket prices are a bit on the pricey side, starting at $16.50 for general admission. However, Groupon tends to have discount tickets from time to time (so make sure to check Groupon first.)
Once inside, we came face to face with a gigantic Albert Einstein head! I couldn't get over how big he was or the thought of how many LEGO'S and hours went into building him! As if his size wasn't enough, he was even motorized to make his eyes move back and forth. Einstein was just one of the huge LEGO structures found at LEGOLAND Discovery Center.
As we made our way into Miniland Chicago, my son took off running, not knowing what to look at first. Miniland Chicago features famous Chicago landmark's and the total whopping LEGO brick count comes close to over 2 million!! Some of the famous landmark's included in the exhibit are: Navy Pier, Buckingham Fountain, Willis Tower, and the Wrigley Building. Miniland Chicago is updated seasonally, so there's always something new & exciting to see!
Next we went through the Jungle Exhibition room. You are completely surrounded by an adorable jungle theme, coming face to face with life-size LEGO jungle animals of all sorts. LEGOLAND Discovery Center did a fabulous job with this particular exhibit. You really felt as if you were walking through a real jungle (but just made with LEGOS!).
We moved on to the LEGO City Builder Room which was recently added Spring of 2016. In this room, children and adults get some hands-on time to build their own LEGO City and LEGO Friends Stories. We got to actually build right into the LEGO display! Strategically placed around the main building table, as well as LEGO tables lining all the walls in the room, you are provided massive amounts of LEGO's to dip your hands into. You never have to worry about running out of LEGO pieces at this place!
Our next stop was the Kingdom Quest Laser Ride. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed on the ride, so I couldn't get any pictures. So instead, I'll just paint you a picture. We got to ride a dragon train car, equipped with laser zapper's. You are taken through a renaissance forest and get to help destroy villains. For each skeleton and troll you zap, you get points that display on a small screen inside your train car. We had so much fun zapping away and of course, mom had the highest score!
LEGOLAND Discovery Center also has it's own LEGO 4D Cinema! As if 4D wasn't enough, they even add special effects, like wind, rain & snow, to make you free like you are really are part of the movie. We got to see The LEGO Movie 4D: A New Adventure and we had rain sprinkled on us! Before going into the theater, I had no idea they added special effects, so this was an awesome surprise for all of us. Each movie runs approximately 12 minutes long and 4D glasses are provided. The different movies they offer run on rotation throughout the day to allow you to catch all of them if you chose.
The LEGO Movie 4D: A New Adventure! View the trailer here.
Pirate Adventure Island was by far my favorite part of LEGOLAND and from the looks of it, my son's favorite too! Pirate Adventure Island is a play land designed to encourage free play in children and adults. The majority of activities offered are hands-on sensory activities, which gives this exhibit two thumbs up in my book! Pirate Adventure Island includes a crystal cave, hidden sea creatures, and treasure island build spaces, where you can build your own LEGO sandcastle or treasure map. Located in the same area next to Pirate Adventure Island is a GIGANTIC water table! We were able to build LEGO pirate ships to set sail through the aquatic obstacle course throughout the water table.
It was really great to see a DUPLO Village section specifically designed for little one's to enjoy as well. DUPLO Village is great for young LEGO builders, who are too young just yet for regular sized LEGO's. The DUPLO Village is packed with DUPLO bricks and large scale soft bricks, which encourage the little one's to get involved in the fun.
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago is a wonderful place for children and adults of all ages, to let their imaginations run wild and let their creativity shine through. So whether you are from the Chicago land area, or just visiting, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago is a MUST to add to your list of "Fun Things To Do".
*It is strongly advised to pre-book tickets online to guarantee admission to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago. During peak hours, tickets may not be available to purchase at the door.