LEGO has been building our plastic dreams since 1947. It’s a killer when you stand on a piece, but it’s a great toy for firing imaginations.
Built in Billund, Denmark, it’s no faceless corporation. The LEGO Group is family owned. Established by Ole Kirk Kristiansen in 1932, the business is now run by his grandson.
LEGO (the name is an abbreviation of the Danish words “leg godt” meaning “play well”) is the third-largest manufacturer of toys in the world.
What doesn’t the LEGO stardust cover? There’s not much. There are Legoland parks around the world – in Denmark, England (Windsor), the USA, Germany, USA (fabulous Florida) and Malaysia – clothes shops, LEGO shops, board games, a movie voiced by Hollywood heavyweights, even beaches in Cornwall where LEGO pieces are regularly washed upon the shore.
Over the years LEGO has hitched its star to Hollywood, licensing themes from cartoon and film franchises. All these can be built – Avatar: The Last Airbender, Batman, Ben 10, Bob the Builder, Cars, Disney Princess, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Prince of Persia, Speed Racer, Spider-Man, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Wars, Super Heroes, Thomas the Tank Engine, Toy Story, The Lone Ranger and The Hobbit.
In 2015 Lego Marvel Avengers and Lego Batman: Beyond Gotham will cheer all you Lego-Marvel-DC fans out there. And Lego Jurassic World will be released in June, just in time for the big Jurassic movie release.
Check out these LEGO versions of iconic monuments around the world:
Natural History Museum, London
Awesome, worthy of your support and vote for #Lego @NHM_London #museum #naturalhistory https://t.co/ORpkHQBfDG pic.twitter.com/6sViyd88yT
— Lego Museums (@LegoMuseums) September 19, 2014
The Reichstag, Berlin
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
#golden #gate #bridge #sanfrancisco #lego #legoland #california A photo posted by JaseAURadio (@jaseauradio) on
The Shard, London
Here’s the other side #snowglobe #coventgarden #london #lego #theshard #londoneye #theo2 #travel pic.twitter.com/QXqw36uvo0
— Kennys RTW travels (@kennystravels) December 16, 2013
Grand Central Station, Manhattan
Statue of Liberty, New York
Chrysler Building (kinda), Manhattan
At http://t.co/AirVV2hOeO — #NY #NYC #ToysRUs #TimesSquare #Lego #EmpireStateBuilding pic.twitter.com/P7KvI4ewrQ — scenesfromnyc (@postcardsfromny) February 2, 2015
St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Lego St Paul’s – what would Wren & Hooke say? pic.twitter.com/5EsZWtJ57d — Rebekah Higgitt (@beckyfh) November 15, 2014
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore. In LEGO. pic.twitter.com/m5pZmB1ymj — Camilla (@CamillaIluna) July 13, 2013
London Olympic Park
Model of London Olympic park…in Lego. pic.twitter.com/9xFHXqtimv
— Lara Kinneir (@lara_kinneir) July 3, 2014
Sacre Coeur, Paris
Tower Bridge, London
Finally, here’s my #LEGO London Tower Bridge build time lapse (this version at sped up 8x) http://t.co/lOmywKYwKC — Antony F (@haytor) January 12, 2015
Rockefeller Centre, Manhattan
And I close night off w/ a fantastic @lego_group rendering of #Rockefeller Centre in the Lego store(Which was closed) pic.twitter.com/fohZoNRlBl
— Dan Harris (@danharrisndp) March 16, 2014
Tokyo Tower
#Godzilla to me: don’t mess with my Lego #Tokyo Tower! pic.twitter.com/AaoSAjBzza — Dr. Philip Savage (@docsavagephd) August 31, 2014
Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
Just finished building #lego Imperial Hotel. #tokyo #japan #design #architecture #history #hotels pic.twitter.com/sz52QQGsh9
— Anand Patel (@anandunmasked) January 4, 2015
Houses of Parliament, London
Houses of parliament. Huge lego wow. pic.twitter.com/UP4fKlgu — LondonBRC/Yoga-Spots (@LondonBRC) September 14, 2012
The Great Pyramid, Giza
The Acropolis, Athens
Lego Parthenon proving more popular than the real thing @metrouk http://t.co/Pv2MuNNQHC Recreating Acropolis @bbcnews http://t.co/itdY2ze8ut
— Living in Greece (@livingingreece) January 7, 2015
Itsukushima Shrine, Hatsukaichi
The world heritage “Itsukushima shrine” 厳島神社. It is made of LEGO. A photo posted by Hauto (@uki_yoshimura) on
The Kremlin, Moscow
#Lego #kremlin #moscow #russian https://t.co/UUjIPiJrHk
— Jerry (@oooh7) January 7, 2015
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
Finished my @LEGO_Group leaning tower of Pisa too. I feel like such a child pic.twitter.com/UuTH6i2wA6 — Charlotte Ransom (@Charlieepie) February 14, 2014
Mont Saint Michel, France
The Colosseum, Rome
At http://t.co/OpLkV3SKaZ — #colosseum #rome #roma LEGO~Colosseum Roma#LEGO#Colosseum pic.twitter.com/gH3uvvzRUb — scenesfromrome (@scenesfromrome) February 1, 2015
Easter Island
CONTEST! How tall in inches is the LEGO Moai from Easter Island? Reply w/#BostonBricks to enter to win tix! GUESS! pic.twitter.com/ufOjFHLehX
— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) October 5, 2014
Swayambhunath, Kathmandu
Swayambhunath Temple in Kathmandu by Lego A photo posted by Naonori KUWATA (@zoffy) on
Blue Mosque, Istanbul
Taj Mahal, Agra
http://t.co/EMryyTU52d – Taj Mahal, India. Another great miniature from lego bricks in… http://t.co/52JKxHz1pC pic.twitter.com/UTwlrbP7pV — Insta-Lego (@Insta_Lego) January 27, 2015
Hwaseong Fortress, South Korea
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Photo: La Sagrada Familia en #lego. #barcelona #spain #sagradafamilia #parco #art #toy #museum #tokyo… http://t.co/ciqsEgHIjZ — MUJAM (@MuseodelJuguete) March 27, 2013
Sydney Opera House
I finished my #LEGO @SydOperaHouse. This is my ode to the 2013 @sydney_festival giant, inflatable duck. #sydfest pic.twitter.com/M3zb01JMvM
— Jackie McMillan (@MissDissentEats) January 16, 2015
Ancient Egypt
Cologne Cathedral, Germany
Cologne Cathedral entirely made of Lego bricks. pic.twitter.com/QZuU2vBshI — Baker Boy Chris (@ChrisDreschler) May 10, 2014
And finally, it’s not just the destinations that come in Lego – here’s a Singapore Airlines plane:
Another of the #legoland images – Singapore Airlines plane – http://t.co/UIAZecyf #lego #photo
— Mads Toftum (@quasi42) July 5, 2012
(Feature image: Brickset)
