Legoland Discovery Centre
Encyclopedia
Legoland Discovery Centre is an indoor family attraction
chain operated by Merlin Entertainments
, a subsidiary of the Blackstone Group
. Featuring models and attractions inspired by the Lego
building toys, the Discovery Centres are smaller versions of the Legoland
theme parks located around the world.
s. All attractions are included in the admission cost to the Centre.
A number of children's attractions, such as small roller coaster
s and play fortresses, are also available. The Centres can host birthday parties as well as scholastic and group functions. The Centres also include restaurants and gift shops selling Lego merchandise.
, two in the United States
and one in the United Kingdom
, Georgia
has been announced, with construction set to begin at Phipps Plaza
in July 2011 for an anticipated opening in the spring of 2012. Merlin Entertainments plans to open another Discovery Centre adjacent to its new Sea Life Centre
aquarium in the Crown Center
complex in Kansas City
, Missouri
in May 2012. A third location, at the Meadowlands complex in East Rutherford
, New Jersey
, was scheduled to open by the end of 2010, but has been delayed, along with the rest of the facility.
Family entertainment center
A family entertainment center , often abbreviated FEC in the entertainment industry, is a small amusement park marketed towards families with small children to teenagers, and often entirely indoors or associated with a larger operation such as a theme park...
chain operated by Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd is a British operator of amusement parks and other attractions. It is the largest such company in Europe, and globally the second largest after Walt Disney Parks and Resorts....
, a subsidiary of the Blackstone Group
Blackstone Group
The Blackstone Group L.P. is an American-based alternative asset management and financial services company that specializes in private equity, real estate, and credit and marketable alternative investment strategies, as well as financial advisory services, such as mergers and acquisitions ,...
. Featuring models and attractions inspired by the Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
building toys, the Discovery Centres are smaller versions of the Legoland
Legoland
Legoland is a chain of Lego-themed theme parks. They are not fully owned by Lego Group itself; rather they are owned and operated by the British theme park company Merlin Entertainment.The chain currently consists of:* Legoland Billund...
theme parks located around the world.
Attractions
A typical Legoland Discovery Centre occupies approximately 30000–35000 sq ft (2,787.1–3,251.6 m2) of floor area. Like the larger Legoland parks, Discovery Centres include "Miniland" attractions, which feature models of local landmarks rendered in Lego bricks. Visitors can also learn how the Lego bricks are manufactured or take part in classes taught by model builders. Locations may also include localized attractions and 4-D movie theatre4-D film
4-D film is a marketing term that describes an entertainment presentation system combining a 3-D film with physical effects in the theatre, which occur in synchronization with the film...
s. All attractions are included in the admission cost to the Centre.
A number of children's attractions, such as small roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s and play fortresses, are also available. The Centres can host birthday parties as well as scholastic and group functions. The Centres also include restaurants and gift shops selling Lego merchandise.
Reception
The target audience for the Legoland Discovery Centre is families with young children, normally ages 3-12; a typical location's average guest is about seven years of age. Discovery Centres are located near other family-friendly attractions and dining establishments. In a given year, a single facility could host approximately 400,000 to 600,000 visitors.Locations
Five Legoland Discovery Centres are currently operating, with two in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, two in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and one in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany - DuisburgDuisburg- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, Germany - SchaumburgSchaumburg, IllinoisSchaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... - GrapevineGrapevine, TexasGrapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... - Manchester, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Future locations
Three new locations, all in the United States, are in various stages of development. A location in AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
has been announced, with construction set to begin at Phipps Plaza
Phipps Plaza
Phipps Plaza, owned by Simon Property Group, is an upscale regional mall in Atlanta, Georgia anchored by Belk, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Located adjacent to its sister-mall Lenox Square, in the Buckhead district, Phipps has more than 100 specialty shops, five full-service restaurants, a food...
in July 2011 for an anticipated opening in the spring of 2012. Merlin Entertainments plans to open another Discovery Centre adjacent to its new Sea Life Centre
Sea Life Centres
Sea Life Centres are a chain of commercial sealife-themed attractions. There are twenty-six centres located in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom , and the United States...
aquarium in the Crown Center
Crown Center
Crown Center is a commercial complex and neighborhood located near Downtown Kansas City, Missouri located between Gillham Road and Grand Boulevard to the east and west, and between Pershing Boulevard and Union Hill to the north and south. The shopping center is anchored by Halls, a department store...
complex in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in May 2012. A third location, at the Meadowlands complex in East Rutherford
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, was scheduled to open by the end of 2010, but has been delayed, along with the rest of the facility.