In 1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, who lived in Billund, Denmark, made the first Lego toys out of wood. He made wooden piggy banks, pull toys, cars and trucks. Two years later Ole named his toys and his woodworking shop Lego, a contraction of the Danish words “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” In June of 1968 the first Legoland was opened in Billund on a 9-acre site. All buildings, landscapes and vehicles were built using standard Lego bricks and 625,000 people came to see this unique attraction during its first year of operation. Two Guinness world records were set in 1992 using Lego products. A castle made with 400,000 Lego bricks was built on Swedish television and a 1,788-ft. long Lego railway line with three locomotives was constructed. Legoland California in Carlsbad was opened in 1999 and it is a 128-acre park geared specifically toward young children.
Legoland California contains more than 60 rides, shows and attractions such as:
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Miniland USA, the heart of Legoland California, containing reproductions of 7 areas in the United States that are all constructed with 20 million Lego bricks in 1:20 scale and can be seen from many places in the park
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Dino Island, where explorers can dig for fossils, soar on a junior roller coaster, climb inside the Megga-Egga-Saurus or lie down inside a life-sized dinosaur footprint in order to understand the enormous size of these amazing animals
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Duplo Village, where people can venture into the wilds of Africa and see life-sized giraffes, zebras, lions, and other animals that are all made with Lego bricks
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Pirate Shores, which contains water attractions featuring captivating high seas adventures to thrill buccaneers of all ages
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Castle Hill, which creates the illusion of a romantic time in history when kings and queens reigned supreme and knights rescued damsels in distress
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Imagination Zone, containing 7 major life-size and over-sized Lego models like 18-ft. tall giraffes that peek through the roof, nibble on an ice cream cone and curiously bend to the ground to welcome guests into the play area
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Legoland Water Park, featuring more than 20 Lego models such as giant Lego friends who splash or spray water onto guests, two sandy beach wading areas, and a 45-ft. tall tower that was designed to immerse children in the creative world of Lego
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STAR WARS Miniland, where guests can enjoy 7 of the most famous scenes from the Star Wars movies, all made out of 1.5 million Lego bricks built in 1:20 scale
Legoland is about a 55-mile drive from Costa Mesa.
