Legoland Discovery Center DC Hosts First Adult Night
Photo by Dean Robbins
Image Courtesy of Dean Robbins
By Dean Robbins
The Legoland Discovery Center in Springfield Mall hosted its first-ever adult night, with a Halloween theme, on October 13th.
The indoor attraction started welcoming visitors in August and is usually only open to children and their guardians. However, considering the popularity of the Lego brand, Discovery Centers have been hosting occasional nighttime events to cater to the adult demographic, taking place semi-monthly at other Discovery Centers.
The Halloween-themed adult night, which ran from 6 pm to 8:30 pm, included a Duplo block commemorating the center’s grand opening, tickets for a raffle, and a card with a QR code to track pictures taken in the center’s multiple photo booths.
For guests over the age of 21, the non-profit organization Change 4 Good sponsored a bar. Most of the attraction was open, with the exception of the Hero Zone play area and the Duplo Park.
Following admission, the experience at the Discovery Center begins with the Minifigure Creator where guests can assemble their own minifigures. Next, the Creative Club is located immediately to the right after the Minifigure Creator. This is where builders can assemble a creation guided by the center’s “playmakers.”
When asked about adult night, playmaker employee Zane said, “I love it! All this imagination! I love it…and hey, overtime!”
The Legoland Discovery Center is anchored by Mini World, which features LEGO recreations of some of DC’s greatest landmarks including the White House and the Metro. The 4D cinema was also available during the event, featuring the limited-time seasonal film Monster Party.
Hungry guests can find food and drink at the LEGO Cafe with an all-ages menu, including burgers and cookies. The center features one ride—the Imagination Express, a trackless dark ride where riders use wands to “shoot” targets on a series of three digital screens. For those in a creative mood, there is a workshop that hosts guided builds every half hour, and Build Adventures where playmakers coordinate LEGO car races on a series of increasingly elaborate tracks.
“I liked the minifigure building at the beginning, but I was a little underwhelmed by the size of the park, especially with the activities. I didn’t know what to expect but I wish I had more time to just build LEGOs,” Isabel Heard said, who is a CUA senior marketing major and attendee.
After experiencing the attraction, guests exit through the well-stocked store. The store is open to all mall visitors and no ticket is required. Tickets for the adult night cost $25.
