Legoland Discovery Center
Wallow in 35,000 square feet of plastic brick-inspired fun at Easton Town Center
This weekend we assembled a portable grill, one of those projects that looks easy but quickly can go down the wrong path with one incorrectly attached part.
We had to put together the frame, attach the grills, assemble and affix the hood, then tack on wheels and a fire extinguisher. Some of the parts looked like they weren’t engineered for any kind of commercial use, let alone a barbecue on wheels.
Fortunately, Lego master builder Maxx Davidson guided our every move as we snapped the pieces together. This was no ordinary grill, after all. Just a few square inches in size, the grill was the project of the day at the brand-new Legoland Discovery Center at Easton Town Center, a $10 million destination attraction that’s sure to interlock its place as an Easton favorite.
A first for Ohio and the second largest in the nation, the Discovery Center is billed as the ultimate indoor Lego playground. There are 10 themed rooms, including the Creative Workshop where Davidson presides; two amusement park-like rides; a 4-D cinema with wind, rain and snow effects; a space to build and test your own Lego creations; and the mega-impressive Miniland, which features recreations of Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati landmarks.
And there’s plenty of room to roam. The Discovery Center is housed in the former All-Star Cafe, which covers 36,000 square feet on two stories inside Easton Station.
“This place is not just fun for kids – it’s fun for families,” says Davidson, an Ashland, Ohio, native who earlier this year ousted 2,000 other applicants to earn the title of Master Builder. “Parents can play with kids no matter what generation they are. You kind of bond over this fun toy.”
That’s exactly what we did for two hours in the newfangled, colorful space. In the end, the intrigue of the rides won our kids’ attention over digging their hands into tubs of plastic bricks. They rode in a self-propelled chariot and used laser guns to battle trolls and skeletons in order to save a princess while on Kingdom Quest. They gleefully pedaled their feet to raise and lower a car on the slow, spinning Merlin’s Apprentice.
We adults were more awed by the detail that went into the exhibits, especially in Miniland. Be sure to check out recreations of Columbus’ North Market, Cincinnati’s Union Terminal and Cleveland’s A Christmas Story House, complete with little Ralphie in a bunny suit on the front porch.
Legoland Discovery Center officially opens Sept. 28. Admission rates range from $20 for a day pass to $60 for an annual pass. Adults must be accompanied by a child age 17 or younger to visit.
The space includes a snack shop, where meals can be assembled in Lego boxes, and rentable party rooms. Learn more.
