Should you had been me, you’d be constructing issues together with your brother in your recreation room. God these are nice recollections.
There’s no introduction I have to make for the countless enjoyable of LEGO. You recognize what they’re, what you are able to do with them, and have most likely seen a few of the unimaginable LEGO creations which boggle the thoughts with their scale.
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However you’ve by no means seen something like this.
I used to be in Denmark lately for a lot of causes, amongst them having dinner with some nice pals on the world’s greatest restaurant.
I had just a few days to spend in Denmark earlier than assembly my pals again in Copenhagen so I made a decision to take somewhat roadtrip. Remembering how silly I used to be the final time I made a decision to take a roadtrip from Copenhagen, I settled for a much more affordable journey this time, exploring a little bit of Denmark’s Jutland area. After an evening in Aarhus, the place I loved the beautiful harbor space, I made my solution to the house of LEGO: Billund, Denmark.
Billund is a quiet city of solely 6100 individuals in central Denmark. Within the Nineteen Thirties it was even smaller, solely having just a few hundred individuals, when The Lego Group was based. Over time the city grew, an airport was added, and LEGO constructed itself (ha, see what I did there) into the big firm it’s as we speak. LEGO by no means left their roots, although, as 90% of LEGO merchandise are nonetheless manufactured in Billund as we speak.
Maybe the top of the LEGO empire is the LEGO Home, proper in the course of Billund. It’s the right place for LEGO lovers of all ages to, nicely, come and play! It opened in 2017 and I had heard about it for years. I needed to lastly go to.
The LEGO Home
The LEGO Home is designed to appear like it’s constructed from LEGO bricks, a stupendous constructing in the course of an older city heart.
(I attempted to get an enormous vast shot of the constructing however tried to be delicate about together with youngsters in photos so I couldn’t get an awesome shot)
Tickets are easy to buy, merely go to LEGOHouse.com and they’ll stroll you thru every part. Because it will get crowded, you buy a ticket for a particular entry time. Checking in was straightforward, I merely scanned a QR code and a wristband was printed for me. Your wristband is your ticket to all the LEGO Home expertise, so take excellent care of it!
That they had lockers the place individuals can retailer further baggage (accessible through, you guessed it, your wristband), so I grabbed my digicam and threw my backpack in one of many lockers earlier than starting my journey.
I scanned my wristband on the fundamental entry gate and was welcomed in by the display screen. The very first thing you encounter is the big Tree of Discovery, constructed from six million LEGO bricks and standing 15 meters tall. On high of every “platform” of the tree had been totally different LEGO units, together with just a few I had constructed as a baby! There’s a spiral walkway across the tree, inviting you to pause and gaze on the intricate units adorning the “leaves”.
When you make it to the highest of the spiral walkway and have gazed on the Tree of Discovery lengthy sufficient, you’ll arrive on the Masterpiece Gallery, a rotating exhibit of unimaginable creations utilizing LEGO bricks. There was a dinosaur theme after I was there.
The size of those creations had been unimaginable, and even moreso once you appeared up near see simply how a lot element went into their development.
Expertise Zones
The LEGO Home has a wide range of Expertise Zones, every with a special activity or exercise to finish. The way you method these areas is as much as you, and I discovered there’s most likely numerous overlap with the way you method these areas and the way you have a tendency to construct LEGO units. There have been individuals rigorously following all of the directions given whereas others (like me) had been identical to HEY COOL LEGO BRICKS and simply beginning constructing stuff.
The Pink Zone was anchored by an infinite “waterfall” of LEGO bricks cascading right into a sea of colourful bricks, permitting you to construct no matter your thoughts might consider.
It had been without end since I had run my palms by a bin of LEGO bricks, it instantly introduced again nice recollections as I began constructing issues. I received’t spoil all of the surprises of every zone for you, however my favourite was the Blue Zone, for a easy cause…race observe.
The Blue Zone has an exercise that guides individuals by seeing how weight impacts velocity and flight of issues. You possibly can put your information to the check by BUILDING A RACE CAR and yeeting it down somewhat ramp (the newbie course) or, if you happen to’re good, can ship your racer careening off a leap and thru a loop!
I constructed a humble little racer out of the half bins they’d distributed across the Blue Zone. It could not have appeared the most effective nevertheless it was imminently useful. So principally I constructed an A380.
I skipped the newbie observe and went proper for the leap loop check observe.
I courageously put my race automotive (and its trusty driver, Willie) onto the observe and despatched it on to a deadly calamity towards the loop. Issues smashed in all places. I humbly picked up what was left of Willie and his automotive and went again to the drafting board. I used to be assured in my design and blamed Willie for every part. My pep discuss should have labored as a result of this was my second try!
It was a lot enjoyable!
I walked by the opposite Expertise Zones and took part the place I might with out getting in the best way of households taking part in collectively. It was enjoyable simply being there (despite the fact that I used to be on my own) nevertheless it was much more enjoyable watching adults taking part proper alongside their children. At each station there have been LEGO Home group members guiding individuals by the actions and sensible use of know-how all through (you can construct a fish, for instance, out of LEGO bricks, insert it right into a slot, and watch it come to life in a digital “aquarium” proper in entrance of you!).
Seemingly in all places you turned was yet one more masterwork of LEGO creation as nicely.
The displays had been nice however I simply discovered myself taking part in with the myriad bins of LEGO bricks and making all kinds of enjoyable stuff.
After the Expertise Zones I went all the way down to the museum within the basement. It was an interesting take a look at how a small woodworking firm from the tiny village of Billund, Denmark, modified the world. It wasn’t an in a single day success both. The museum was trustworthy about The LEGO Firm’s successes and missteps alongside the best way. The final a part of the exhibit actually spoke to how LEGO acquired again to its roots and embraced play, irrespective of the age of the shopper. There’s an enormous AFOL (grownup fan of LEGO) group on the market and LEGO’s growth into extra difficult units has been met with monumental success.
The LEGO Restaurant
One of many coolest experiences they provide is their MINI CHEF restaurant. You need to make a separate reserving for this however it’s undoubtedly value it!
I used to be seated at a sales space that got here with a small display screen, a menu, and, curiously, a small set of LEGO bricks.
A waitress appeared to stroll me by the idea: every LEGO brick represents a special entree. You BUILD YOUR MEAL OUT OF LEGO BRICKS and that’s the way you order!
I went with this contraption.
When you’re able to order, you insert all the white cartridge into the display screen at your desk. The pc reads the LEGO bricks and turns it into an order for you. As soon as verified, your order is shipped to the kitchen.
And that’s the place the robotic cooks are available. Due to course there are robotic cooks.
Your order is positioned into big LEGO bricks which stream down a conveyor belt till they attain these two lovable cooks. One in every of them will push your order to you and also you’re able to go!
Opening your meal is rather like another LEGO expertise!
My meal was tasty and easy, what you’d anticipate from Danish delicacies.
Summing up the expertise
The whole lot concerning the LEGO Home expertise focuses visitors on one factor: play. And the wristbands play an element in that. Don’t have a digicam? No downside. Scan your wristband at photograph stops, they’ve cameras set as much as take your image and the photographs might be saved so that you can obtain later! It’s a lot simpler than handing your cellphone to strangers or something like that.
As I went again and downloaded my photos it introduced again fantastic recollections of a artistic day on the LEGO Home!
The ultimate cease earlier than leaving
The final cease earlier than you exit is the Six Pink Brick machine. A miniature LEGO brick printing machine stamps out packets of six crimson bricks, which will be assembled in tens of millions of various mixtures. Whenever you scan your wristband, you get a customized mixture, distinctive to you, that’s yours without end!
It was superb seeing freshly-born LEGO bricks created and packaged proper in entrance of my eyes!
Right here’s my combo, if you happen to’d prefer to construct it for your self.
Let me sum it up for you
Should you’re in Denmark and have any affinity for LEGO tradition, go to the LEGO Home! Billund is a few hours away from Copenhagen nevertheless it’s a straightforward drive. The grins you see, both by yourself face or your youngsters’s faces, might be all value it.
I can’t wait to return!
Are you a LEGO particular person? I don’t imply somewhat brick particular person however are you a LEGO fanatic? Inform me within the feedback under!
