If you have a kid that is Lego obsessed, and you're in the Chicago area, this is definitely a place you will want to visit. It's not as large as a Legoland Amusement Park, but it's definitely a fun indoor attraction and play area. We easily spent about 3 hours here before we needed to pry our kiddos out of there and drive back home.
We had visited April of 2021. So the COVID pandemic was still a factor as to our experience there. At that time, we needed to purchase tickets online prior to visiting. And the capacity was limited to 50%. Even with that being a factor, we chose to visit as soon as the Legoland Discovery Center opened to try and beat any possible crowds we might encounter. Buying days before online, we were also able to purchase the tickets for 50% off from the website itself. If no sale is going on at the time you book, I would suggest trying Groupon. It was definitely a fun time, but fifty dollars per person felt a bit steep. (Maybe it was just me though because I was 8 months pregnant and couldn't ride anything, haha.)
With that said, if you do live close and plan to frequent the Legoland Discovery Center, I would go ahead and buy annual passes. It wasn't much more than a daily admission. So two trips there and you would have gotten your money's worth.
Parking is free. It's located in a large outdoor strip mall in Schaumburg. So just slightly west of the actual city of Chicago. And you can't miss it once you're there. Just look for the giant Lego giraffe!
Once you're past the main entrance, you immediately find yourself in their Miniland. It has many great replications of Chicago's downtown area and famous tourist attractions, such as the Willis (formerly Sears) tower and Navy Pier. If you want to pose with the 44th President, there was also a life-size Lego replica of Barack Obama.
After Miniland, you meander through a cool Lego forest full of various jungle creatures. It leads you to a Lego factory area where you can get a sneak peak of creations being built through a window. If you're feeling inspired, or your little one is feeling the urge for some hands-on activity, they have Lego tables set up to get your building on.
One of the first rides you come across is just after this section. It's medieval themed and you shoot at various targets from your chariot.
From here, you make your way up to the second floor where the rest of the fun is. There's a 4D theater, a Legoland Friends play area, a Duplo play area, a couple indoor playgrounds, a cafeteria, and another ride-on attraction.
My 5 year old's favorite thing was the ramp racing area. He worked with his dad to build race cars out of the Legos provided at the tables. He then raced his creations against the other kids' cars.
It was definitely a fun family outing.
Although COVID protocols had to be followed, and I was waddling everywhere, we had a great time and hope to go back again! If we didn't live an hour away, I'm sure we would be pass holders and be there almost every other weekend to satisfy my kids' love of Legos.
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