AusLeisure

Featuring more than 2 million Lego bricks and covering 2,800 metre², Australia's first LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre has opened today in Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre.

The first attraction of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the Centre features some of Melbourne’s best known landmarks showcased in LEGO, including the MCG, Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and the Shrine of Remembrance.

Developed by global leisure giant Merlin Entertainments plc and Federation Centres, the $12 million retail attraction also includes a four-dimensional cinema and interactive rides.

With the profile of retail malls changing, the LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors in its first year linking with the shopping centre’s opening of two new dining precincts and a new Hoyts cinema as part of a $660 million redevelopment.

Legoland Discovery Centre Melbourne General Manager Drew Grove said Merlin had plans to build on its international portfolio of 17 Legoland centres through partnerships with high-end malls in Australia.

Grove said the global model was to locate Legoland within premium retail centres,  malls that already boasted strong visitation numbers, stating “the foot traffic to these centres is enormous and we pitch Legoland as a premium product, which aligns with the key demographics of centres like Chadstone.

"We see Legoland Discovery Centre as attracting domestic and international visitation but also local visitors through the drive market of up to 90 minutes away and repeat visitation, which is why we anchor in those shopping centres because they have those repeat visitors."

Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments reportedly has plans to open up to four more Legoland Discovery Centres in major shopping centres around Australia in the next couple of years.

While Merlin holds the global licence for LEGOLAND® attractions, the recently opened LEGO store at Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld results from a link with LEGO's separate retail division.

28th January 2017 - DREAMWORLD OPENS AUSTRALIA’S FIRST LEGO CERTIFIED STORE 

14th January 2017 - LEGOLAND WATERPARK OPENS IN DUBAI

27th April 2016 - MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS MARKS FIVE YEARS OF OPERATIONS IN AUSTRALASIA 

19th August 2015 - AUSTRALIA’S FIRST LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTRE TO OPEN IN MELBOURNE

23rd April 2015 - MERLIN AGREES DEAL TO DEVELOP LEGOLAND WATERPARK IN DUBAI

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