I visited the Legoland Discovery Center Westchester with my 3 children and found myself pleasantly surprised. It is an indoor family entertainment center located at Ridge Hill Shopping Center in Yonkers, NY in Westchester County. I was skeptical based on a previous overcrowded experience many years back, but everyone truly enjoyed themselves. We spent the whole day exploring all that there was to do. All three of my children ages 9, 4, and 2 found things to get excited about. Truly a wonderful play space for children, not just for LEGO fans, although they'll probably leave having become a LEGO fan. There are rides, tons of opportunity to build, Master Builder Academy workshop, LEGO 4D cinema, and so much more! I think it's best for ages 2 to 11, they're open every day so it's a great place to visit during the week if you homeschool or have younger children not in school yet. I met some families who have annual passes and come after school, great idea!
There were so many things to do for children, mine were kept busy for hours, loved how I could make our day a fun and educational one. We are already planning more visits this year, looking into an annual pass which is well worth the purchase. Walk-up admission costs about $22, while an annual pass is $62.50 per person for a family pass. It would pay for itself in 3 visits, and if you're local that's a steal! Children under 2 are free. I surprised them after a morning of shopping at the shopping center, they were thrilled!
The adventure starts right away as you learn about how LEGO bricks are made in the
Lego Factory. An imaginative demonstration allows for children to see how raw plastic is transformed into the colorful Lego bricks. A number of stations let kids experience a playful demo of how the Lego bricks are formed and created.
The
Kingdom Quest awaits around the corner, a ride for children to play a bit of pretend and help rescue the princess. It is geared for ages 4 and up, mostly projected lights and laser-shooting action on a ride, children gain some points as they hit targets. Great way to start your visit, really gets kids excited as they enter another world of adventure. Be aware of the photo opp during the ride, you'll get a chance to purchase them for a keepsake.
A visit to
Miniland will inspire children as they see the world created with over 1.5 million LEGO bricks! Look closer and you'll see an interactive city where children can get a closer look and find hidden ways to make scenes come alive. You'll even spot a mini version of Legoland Discovery Center itself! (pictured above)
Merlin's Apprentice Ride actually goes up into the "sky" going around and around where those who can reach can pedal. A magical ride for children 3' and taller! Children between the height of 3' and 4' must ride with an adult. We were all able to go on the ride together since it was quite enough, one of the staff members sat by my daughter's side.
LEGO Racers - Build & Test zone is a favorite amongst many visitors. There are colorful variations of bricks and pieces needed to create the vehicle of your dreams, and race platforms to test them out on!
Earthquake Tables are always super fun for younger builders. They get to build their tallest and strongest tower using LEGO DUPLO bricks, then test the strength by making the tables shake!
I think most kids love to sing when they're young, my youngest two could not get enough of the karaoke stage. They get to select a song and sing along! It's
LEGO Friends Olivia's house, the colorful area is a hit to play pretend and of course build!
One of my personal favorites about our visit was the
Master Builder Academy workshop. A super talented master builder gives instruction on how to build the model of the day, either mosaic or model building. Classes are fairly small and limited to first come first serve. Virtually empty on weekdays, a super special treat.
Young visitors ages 2-5 will love the animal-themed
DUPLO Village area! They can build, and hang out with the special, big and soft bricks for little builders. They even have a slide, it's like a mini play zone for the little ones.
LEGO Ninjago City Adventure zone is full of so much fun! There are so many features to the super fun play zone I can't list them all. Lots of opportunities for kids to run around, be a ninja, climb, slide, spin and enjoy the many interactive features of the play zone.
After all the running around we did, we enjoyed breaks by visiting the
LEGO 4D cinema. Depending on the movie, you can experience wind, rain, and snow effects that children will LOVE! They show more than one kind of short movie during the day, so as long as seating is available you can see as many as you'd like.
While I would generally not mention the bathroom of a place we visit, Legoland Discovery Center even added fun to the bathroom. As a parent, attention to detail like this is really appreciated.
I know based on previous visits during the weekends, it gets very busy so take that into account when you visit. I would take time to spend a whole day if you plan to visit, children can play and explore for hours. There is a
Cafe where they serve meals, snacks, drinks and more. On your way out you walk through the
LEGO store stocked with all the latest where you can get your latest set or pick up a souvenir!
They are open every day,
10 AM - 5 PM on Sunday - Thursday, and 10 AM - 7 PM on Friday - Saturday. Stroller and wheelchair friendly. Admission is $22, but there are deals when you purchase ahead of time online, and don't forget about the annual passes I mentioned.
For more information, including specific pricing visit
westchester.legolanddiscoverycenter.com
*Complimentary passes were provided, all opinions are a 100% my own.
