For Immediate Release: July 6, 2011
Media Contacts: Emma Filar, Marketing & Communications Associate
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National Building Museum Extends Its Popular LEGO® Architecture Exhibition
15 Large-Scale Models of World-Famous Buildings plus LEGO® Play Area open through September 3, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Due to popular demand, National Building Museum executive director Chase W. Rynd announced that the Museum’s LEGO® Architecture: Towering Ambition will stay in Washington, D.C. through September 3, 2012, almost one year longer than initially planned. More than 136,000 people have visited the LEGO® show so far, making it one of the most-visited exhibitions in the Museum’s 31-year history. Press images are available online at go.nbm.org/lego-images.
Visitors can see large-scale models of the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center, and the St. Louis Gateway Arch along with 12 other structures made entirely of LEGO® bricks. Some of these sculptures soar up to 18-feet high and use as many as 450,000 LEGO® pieces without the use of glue or other adhesive material. The models were made by Adam Reed Tucker, one of the 11 LEGO® Certified Professionals worldwide.
Visitors to the exhibition can build with hundreds of thousands of LEGO® pieces in a special hands-on play area, sponsored by an in-kind donation from LEGO® Systems Inc. The Museum has a Flickr group where visitors can share photos of their amazing LEGO® creations.
“The simplicity and nostalgia of LEGO® gives viewers a new way to look at familiar buildings,” says Mr. Rynd. “Visitors can lean in close to see a building's intricate design and engineering or take a step back to appreciate it in full.”
LEGO® ARCHITECTURE SERIES AVAILABLE IN THE MUSEUM SHOP
LEGO® Architecture series kits are for sale in the Museum Shop. Adam Reed Tucker has partnered with The LEGO Group to design kits for fans 10 and over (16 and up for the more intricate models) to construct and collect architectural landmarks, including the White House, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, and the Burj Khalifa Tower, which is the world’s tallest building. Each LEGO® Architecture set contains a booklet featuring step-by-step building instructions prefaced by archival history, information, and photographs of each building, its design origin, its architect, and its architectural features.
ADMISSION
Timed tickets for LEGO® Architecture: Towering Ambition are required, and one price includes admission to all of the Museum’s exhibitions, including LEGO® Architecture. Admission to the Museum’s exhibitions is $5 for youth (three to 17), students with ID, and seniors (65 and over) and $8 for adults. Museum members and children two and under receive free admission. Active-duty members of the military and their families are free Memorial Day through Labor Day. Same-day tickets and advance tickets up to two weeks before one’s visit are available for purchase at the Museum’s information desk, Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm and Sunday, 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The Museum is located at 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. (Metro: Red line, Judiciary Square or Yellow, Green, and Red lines, Gallery Place-Chinatown). Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Museum Shop. Café. Public inquiries: www.nbm.org or 202.272.2448.
For more information, please contact Stacy Adamson at 202.272.2448, ext. 3458 or sadamson@nbm.org.
LEGO®, its logo and the brick and knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2010–11 The LEGO Group.
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
