PRESS kit - Legoland

LEGOLAND ® iN shOrt
CONCEpt
LEGOLAND ® Billund is a LEGO ® world for children between 2-12 years of age, and their families. LEGOLAND offers
joint experiences and activities for the entire family – centred around the child. Children can explore a world built
out of more than 59 million LEGO bricks. A world of fun, fantasy, creativity and learning.
histOrY
The history of LEGOLAND began to take shape in the 1960s. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, the then owner of the
LEGO Corporation, arranged an exhibition of LEGO figures in his factories. People showed such a great interest in
the exhibition that Godtfred Kirk Christiansen began to toy with the idea of making an outdoor LEGO exhibition. In
the beginning he just imagined a small garden display of the different LEGO models. But, after putting the idea
forward, it developed into something much more substantial.
On 7 June 1968 LEGOLAND in Billund opened its doors for the public for the first time. 38,000 m 2 of houses,
landscapes, moving trains, floating boats and working cranes – all built with ordinary LEGO bricks. In addition to a
Miniland built entirely with LEGO bricks, the new park sported a big LEGO train, a Toyota Traffic School, an Indian
camp, a puppet theatre and a doll collection.
LEGOLAND became a success beyond all expectations. In its first year, the park welcomed some 625,000 happy
visitors, and it soon became the most popular tourist attraction outside of Copenhagen - A position that LEGO-
LAND still holds.
OWNErship
The LEGOLAND parks were founded in 1968 by the Kirk Kristiansen family who retained ownership until 2005.
Since 2005, the LEGOLAND parks have been part of the European family-entertainment enterprise Merlin
Entertainments Group, which owns and operates the following brand icons: the four LEGOLAND parks, three
LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, 9 Madame Tussauds, 23 SEA LIFE TM Centres, The Merlin Entertainments London
Eye, 2 Earth Explorers, 5 Dungeons, Underwater Adventures Aquarium, Gardaland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park,
Chessington, Warwick Castle and Heide Park
Merlin Entertainments Group is owned by the Blackstone Group, Dubai International Capital and LEGO
Holding/KIRKBI.
Merlin Entertainments Group hosts more than 38 million guests a year at their 58 theme parks and six hotels,
making Merlin Entertainments the largest European company in the industry. The company owns the three
largest theme park brands in Europe: Tussauds, SEA LIFE and LEGOLAND, and is the second-largest theme park
owner in the world.
Work is currently in progress to open two new LEGOLAND parks: One in Iskandar, Florida in 2011, one in Malaysia in
2012, and one in Dubai later.
LEGOLAND ® BiLLUND rEsOrt
LEGOLAND, Lalandia, Givskud Zoo and Billund Airport are now working together to create Northern Europe’s
largest family resort. Collaboration between the companies will primarily involve joint marketing in Denmark and
abroad, as well as product development focusing on the launching of a weather-independent, year-round destination.
LEGOLAND Billund Resort is thus a formalisation of the ongoing efforts to make Billund an attractive destination,
and to get families to remain in the area for several days.
LEGOLAND ® Entrance
Miniland
DUPLO ® LAND
2