There are two Legoland Discovery Centre’s here in the UK; One in Manchester and the other in Birmingham. These Lego themed indoor attractions bring the world of Lego to the cities in a smaller format than the full Legoland park down in Windsor and provide an excellent attraction for bad weather. With multiple zones including Mini Land and even rides, theres so much to do all under one roof. However, there is something about these attractions which is a little different to the main Legoland park – You must have a child to visit. That’s right, for the safety of the attractions target audience, young children, you must visit with a child. Though don’t worry, Lego have adults in mind and have their very own “Adult Night” events just for them. I’ve been to both the Birmingham & Manchester centres for the Adult Night events so let me tell you all about them and if I recommend them.
The Discovery Centres run an Adult Night once a month in the evening. During this event anyone over the age of 18 can visit the attraction for a few hours and take part in a range of activities (but more on that in a moment). Starting at 6.30 and ending around 9pm, it’s the perfect evening activity to enjoy by yourself, with a mate or even a date! You check in at the front entrance and are then allowed up into the attraction itself (I recommend the lift, it’s a little more magical).
Entering the attractions, you are then free to enjoy everything the Discovery Centre has to offer during the evening including a range of Lego, the 4D cinema, Mini Land, rides and so much more! Every adult night has a series of challenges which you can take part in too which lead to the chance of winning some wonderful prizes. These do vary however in our experience there is always a build challenge and a Kingdom Quest score challenge. Other challenges in the past have included “how many bricks did this item take” and sticker scavenger hunts. On top of this there are also Adult Night only activities such as Lego bingo and speed build challenges. We even got to meet a Lego character at the Manchester event.
Attractions and experiences available may vary between the two sites, but one thing we do know is that the night ends the same way. At the end of the night all guests are led into the 4D cinema for a 4D film and the results of the evenings challenges. Once your evening has finished, you can visit the Lego Discovery shop and purchase Lego sets of your own to take home.
But what do we think of these events? I honestly really enjoy them. It’s a relaxing evening full of Lego activities. It isn’t a busy event and there is no feeling of rushing (Apart from trying to finish your build challenge when you only have 10 minutes left but that’s not the point). They are casual evenings, and everyone is there to have fun with Lego bricks. There are plenty of staff on hand including the Master Builder, who are available to chat and give some building advice too. If you love Lego, this is the event for you. It also feels like an opportunity to be a kid again which is a nice break from working life.
Tickets cost £12.50 per person or £7.50 if you are a Merlin Annual Pass holder or Student. This price covers your entire evening so all you need to pay for is food, drink or any Lego themed goodies you may want to purchase.
The next Adult Night is on the 2nd of August for Manchester and the 20th of September for Birmingham and each event has its own monthly theme which impacts the activities available.
To find out more, visit the locations on the Discovery Centre website – https://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.com/