Did you know there is a Legoland Discovery Center in Central Ohio? Those of us that get to call the buckeye state home are truly fortunate to have this amazing facility so close to home. No need to drive 14-16 hours to Florida. With Easton Towne Center being a short drive from almost anywhere in Ohio, it makes an ideal location for Legoland.
I honestly had no idea what to expect from Legoland. I set out on this adventure with my 10-year-old friend, Cooper. We were wowed from the moment we walked through the giant Lego character archway. I don’t think Cooper stopped smiling the entire four hours we were there.
Logistics
The free parking garage right beside the mall entrance makes parking very convenient. There is a giant giraffe that greets you on the corner as well as one on roller skates by the Lego store. Once you go inside the mall, continue past the escalators and veer right. There is a little Lego guy pointing you in the right direction.
Upon entry, you will be given the option to purchase ($5 extra) a lanyard that allows you to get special stamps throughout Legoland. It’s like a continual passport treasure hunt that extends into fun adventures when you get home.
Kingdom Quest
Have you ridden the Buzz Lightyear laser tag ride at Disney World? That’s one of our family’s favorite rides. Legoland welcomes you with a similar experience with Kingdom Quest. You can ride it over and over, trying to increase your target shooting expertise and point level. Enjoy saving the baby dragon!
MINILAND
Whether you’ve traveled all over Ohio or just wish you could, MINILAND will amaze you. Depicting Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and a few additional iconic areas, such as Sugarcreek’s World Record Cuckoo Clock, Lego Masters have created an entire world inside this room with over 1.5 million bricks. There are a few interactive kiosks that make it even cooler. Have you ever wanted to run the football for a touchdown in the Shoe? Now you can!
Along with the kiosks, there are multiple things to search for and fun twists to enjoy. The Trolls have even made their debut in full style. It’s a room full of superb Lego craftsmanship, so be sure to take your time and admire all of the humorous, little touches that have been added.
Workshop and Movie Times
After you leave MINILAND, there are a few things to take note of. A Lego Master Builder will be giving Lego building classes throughout the day. You will need to reserve a seat for this class. For $5 a kit, you and/or your child will be guided through the process of putting together a Lego kit. We each made a koi fish. (and I learned there is a Lego brick separator!) The Legoland Master Builder does a great job walking you through the process and gives you additional ideas on alterations to give your piece a unique personality.
Be sure to look through the window of the Master Builder’s office. He’s made some pretty incredible Lego structures purely out of his imagination.
4-D Legoland movies are shown every 30 minutes. The titles and times are listed on the movie board by the Lego ticket master guy. 3-D glasses are always fun, but Legoland adds a fourth element of surprise. I’ll leave that surprise factor unknown for your enjoyment.
Legoland Creativity and Design
Each child is given a huge bag of Legos upon entering the Lego building arena. This maintains sanitary precautions. There are multiple building stations and a lot of prompts to get your imaginative juices flowing. You can test out your inner engineering skills by creating a vehicle that can be raced or ramped. This is a great STEM activity!
You can also take your creations one step further by turning them into a movie. The interactive video station allows you to take still shots, with added backgrounds, and turn them into a full fledged Lego skit.
Merlin’s Apprentice Ride
So you’ve saved the dragon, now you need to keep Merlin from casting a spell. This wizardly, people-pedaling ride will gently launch you into the air and take you in circles as long as you keep your legs moving. If your legs start to get lax, your vehicle will start to slowly plummet, which gives Merlin the perfect opportunity to cast his spell.
Legoland Café
Due to COVID-19, the café is serving a limited selection of food and drinks. They do have some incredibly fun Lego lunchboxes to keep your snacks in. There is freshly brewed Starbucks available for the big kids. Nothing beats that aroma for this coffee loving girl!
As you exit Legoland, you can make a stop in the Lego store. While you are there, you can get a Lego brick engraved. How cool is that?!
One of the many great things about Legoland is that you get to utilize all of these rides, displays and centers as many times as you’d like throughout your visit. We spent four hours here and time just flew by.
With cold weather right around the corner, Legoland makes a great destination. Applying STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) and creativity to the day makes online learning/homeschooling that much more enjoyable. Legoland is a great add-on to any curriculum.
If you opt for a yearly membership, it will pay for itself in only two visits. That’s quite a deal when you consider how much fun and learning that includes. Have a great time at Legoland and may the best car win!
I’d like to give a huge Thank You to the staff at Legoland for their generosity and hospitality. Everything you did for us was very much appreciated. As with all adventures I go on, I experienced everything first hand and all opinions are my own.
Looking for additional ways to educate and entertain the children in your life? Head on over to my posts on Ohio’s Nature Preserves.
