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  • Merlin Entertainments officially opens the world’s first MINILAND San Diego at LEGOLAND® California Resort today!
  • Comprised of more than 5 million LEGO® bricks and welcoming nearly 4,000 Minilander “residents” to the destination, the new addition features iconic scenes from “America’s Finest City,” including Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, The Rady Shell, and Coronado Bridge.
CARLSBAD, CA (March 23, 2023) – Tour all of San Diego in just minutes! Today, LEGOLAND® California Resort revealed the world’s first LEGO® City version of San Diego. Located only 30 minutes from downtown San Diego in nearby Carlsbad, the new MINILAND San Diego provides locals and out-of-town families the chance to take in the entire city by land and by brick!


“San Diego is a beautiful destination filled with stunning architecture, landscapes, and history and there’s nowhere else in the world you can experience America’s Finest City like this – completely out of LEGO bricks and on a 1:20 scale,” said President of LEGOLAND California Resort Kurt Stocks. “Last year, we asked our guests which landmarks they’d like to see in our new LEGO city, and we’re excited to see their visions come to life. Many of our Master Model Builders are from San Diego and it’s been awesome to see the passion put into this new attraction, and I can’t wait to share it with the families that visit us from all over the world.”
​The new section at the heart of the Park in MINILAND U.S.A. will join other iconic cities, including New York, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and San Francisco. A team of 70 Master Model Builders used more than 5 million LEGO bricks to construct a realistic 30-foot beach, streets lined with 120 palm trees, and 55 San Diego landmarks, including:
  • The Rady Shell: Modeled after the open-air music venue in San Diego, The Rady Shell was constructed of 65,490 LEGO bricks with 380 LEGO chairs built for audience members.
  • Petco Park: Made up of more than 150,000 bricks, the life-like Petco Park model features 1,000 colorful Minilanders cheering on the Padres, and an animated Jumbotron.
  • Coronado Bridge: The iconic Coronado Bridge was remade into a 101,943-brick creation. Each of the pillars has its own set of lights, giving the bridge the perfect glow.
  • Emerald Plaza: The architecturally distinct Emerald Plaza is constructed of 204,060 LEGO bricks, and each hexagonal top is illuminated with LED lights.
  • San Diego Convention Center: Master Model Builders drew inspiration from Comic Con and installed hundreds of costume characters based on collector Minifigures.
  • The San Diego County Fair: The Fair features three animated rides (Ferris Wheel, Hammer Swing and Gravitron) along with fun fair food stalls, a farm animal contest, a chili cookoff and a giant vegetable competition.
  • Downtown and Gaslamp Quarter: The streets will be lined with the famous lamps, parking meters and even fire hydrants, but it’s the people that will be the ones to spot here, such as Minilanders in suits going to work, musicians playing in the city or a Mariachi band in Old Town.



In addition to the debut of MINILAND San Diego, families can anticipate bricktastic fun all season long at LEGOLAND California Resort, including new events and the return of beloved experiences like Red, White, and BOOM! (summer), Brick-or-Treat (October), and a reimagined holiday event, Holidays 2.0.


Starting today, MINILAND San Diego is included in the price of admission to LEGOLAND® California Resort. LEGOLAND California’s full 2023 operating calendar can be found here. For more information about LEGOLAND California, visit our website or follow us on Facebook.  To book a Vacation Package at LEGOLAND Hotel or LEGOLAND Castle Hotel, visit our Vacation Packages page.Guests can also purchase single-day tickets or annual passes with or without a hotel stay. LEGOLAND Water Park starts its season on March 25th.
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About LEGOLAND California Resort

LEGOLAND® California Resort includes LEGOLAND® California, SEA LIFE® aquarium, LEGOLAND® Water Park, LEGOLAND® Hotel and LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel. All are geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. At LEGOLAND California, you’ll find more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including the new LEGO® Ferrari Build & Race and The LEGO® MOVIE™ WORLD based on the blockbuster films The LEGO® Movie™ and The LEGO® Movie™ 2: The Second Part. The new land fully immerses guests into the LEGO® Movie universe and places them onto the streets of Bricksburg. LEGOLAND Water Park features more than seven slides, sandy beaches and the unique Build-A-Raft River plus Pirate Reef and LEGO Legends of CHIMA Water Park comprising 10 acres of water fun! The nation’s first LEGOLAND Hotel features 250 rooms, all themed either as pirate, adventure, kingdom, LEGO® Friends and LEGO® NINJAGO™! North America’s first LEGOLAND Castle Hotel features 250 rooms, fully themed as Knights and Dragons, Royal Princess and Magic Wizard. For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).

About Merlin Entertainments

Merlin Entertainments is a global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe's number one and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin operates more than 140 attractions, 23 hotels and 6 holiday villages in 25 countries across 4 continents. Merlin’s purpose is to deliver memorable experiences to its millions of guests around the world, through its iconic brands and multiple attraction formats, and the commitment and passion of its employees.

See www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information and follow on Twitter @MerlinEntsNews.
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