Brick Fest Live!: Lego Fun for NYC Kids at the NY Hall of Science

6/23/15 - By Stephanie Ogozalek

If you have a Lego lover at home, you won't want to miss Brick Fest Live!, an unofficial Lego fan celebration taking place at Queens' New York Hall of Science this week. This touring Lego experience offers hands-on fun for all ages and skill levels, from casual builders to die-hard fanatics, including a Lego video game arcade, multiple building areas, a racetrack for Lego cars and amazing plastic brick creations, including some that glow in the dark!

My 10-year-old son and I just got back from Brick Fest Live!, and if you've got a Lego-obsessed kid like mine, this is a must-do event. Bonus: It's FREE with regular museum admission!

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Brick Fest Live! is taking place daily at the New York Hall of Science through this Sunday, June 28, so if your kids are in school until Friday, you still have time to check it out. My son made a beeline for the Brick Fest Derby on the museum's upper level, where kids can create their own customized Lego vehicles and let them zoom down a timed, 34-foot racetrack against cars created by other fans.


Kids can build and race their own Lego brick cars at the Lego Derby.

Also located on the upper level, the Glow Tent and the Video Game Arena were my son's favorite attractions. The sculptures in the Glow Tent appear illuminated. However, a staffer told us that they are all made out of plain, translucent Lego pieces, some of which glow under black light. So invest in a black light and you can make glow-in-the-dark creations like this at home yourself.


Glow-in-the-dark Lego sculptures in the Glow Tent

Of course, kids don't want to just look at Legos, they want to build with them—and there are a number of different ways to do that at Brick Fest Live! Kids can hit the brick Sandbox filled with millions of red Legos, head to the Mosaic station to create two-dimensional brick pictures or stop by various Inspiration Stations to construct buildings for the impressive Lego city. There's even a Junior Builders area featuring pits of larger Duplo bricks.


Build to your heart's content in the red Lego brick Sandbox.

Plus, there are trivia games, vendors and other hands-on activities, along with amazing Lego sculptures that serve as inspiration for your own creations.


Toy Story's loveable Woody created entirely out of Legos.

During our visit, most of the brick builders were preschool-age or younger, which initially made my 10-year-old son think I dragged him to a "baby" event. However, once he began building, he realized the fest was perfect for him, too. (I suspect the young crowd was due to us attending on a weekday while public school was still in session.) I bet lots of big kids and even grown-ups come on weekends.

Brick Fest Live! is at the New York Hall of Science through this Sunday, June 28 and is free with general admission: $15 for adults, $12 for children ages 2-17. Buying advance tickets is recommended.

If you can't make it to Brick Fest Live! this week, it will be at New Jersey's Meadowlands Expo Center from Friday July 10 to Sunday, July 12.

Want more Legos? Check out our roundup of Lego fun in the tri-state area including the Legoland Discovery Center in Westchester.

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