What Is LEGOLAND? A Guide to the Parks, History and Rides

Category: Guides

By BrickBucks

4 min read

LEGOLAND is a chain of 10 brick-themed family parks operated by Merlin Entertainments. The original opened in Billund, Denmark in 1968 — and the brand now spans four continents.

LEGOLAND is a chain of family theme parks themed around the LEGO brand. The first one opened in Billund, Denmark in 1968, next door to the LEGO Group's original factory, and ten LEGOLAND resorts now operate worldwide. Since 2005 the parks have been owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments under a perpetual licence from LEGO.

Every LEGOLAND park in 2026

• LEGOLAND Billund (Denmark, 1968) — the original. Adjacent to the LEGO Group HQ and the LEGO House attraction.
• LEGOLAND Windsor (UK, 1996) — Britain's most popular family park.
• LEGOLAND California (USA, 1999) — Carlsbad, north of San Diego.
• LEGOLAND Deutschland (Germany, 2002) — Günzburg, Bavaria.
• LEGOLAND Florida (USA, 2011) — built on the bones of the former Cypress Gardens park near Orlando.
• LEGOLAND Malaysia (2012) — the first LEGOLAND in Asia, in Johor Bahru.
• LEGOLAND Dubai (UAE, 2016) — part of Dubai Parks & Resorts.
• LEGOLAND Japan (2017) — Nagoya.
• LEGOLAND New York (USA, 2021) — Goshen, Hudson Valley.
• LEGOLAND Korea (2022) — Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.
• LEGOLAND Shanghai (China, 2026) — newest opening.

What you actually do at LEGOLAND

Every park follows roughly the same recipe — built for the 2-to-12 age range and themed entirely around LEGO bricks:

• Miniland — the heart of every park: city skylines, landmarks and scenes recreated in millions of bricks. London, New York and Manhattan miniatures are jaw-dropping.
• Driving School — kids drive electric LEGO-themed cars on a real road circuit and receive an official LEGOLAND driving licence.
• Pirate Shores / Water Park — wet-play attractions, often with themed slides and splash zones.
• LEGO Ninjago World — interactive 3D ride using hand gestures to throw "Spinjitzu" energy.
• Hotels — every major LEGOLAND has a brick-themed resort hotel with treasure-hunt rooms and themed dining.
• Build zones — quiet creative areas where the bricks themselves are the attraction.

LEGOLAND vs LEGO House vs LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

It is easy to confuse three brand-adjacent attractions:

• LEGOLAND (resorts): the major outdoor parks listed above.
• LEGO House (Billund): an indoor experience attraction operated directly by the LEGO Group, focused on creative play and exhibitions rather than rides.
• LEGOLAND Discovery Centre: smaller indoor attractions (in shopping centres or malls) that operate as Merlin properties — Birmingham, Manchester, Berlin, Tokyo, Toronto, Boston and many more.

Is LEGOLAND owned by LEGO?

Indirectly. The original LEGOLAND Billund was created by the Kirk Kristiansen family (LEGO's founding family) but the parks division was sold to Blackstone in 2005, which spun it into Merlin Entertainments. The Kirk Kristiansen family holding company (KIRKBI) then bought back into Merlin and remains a major shareholder, so the parks are still loosely "in the family" — but day-to-day operations sit with Merlin under a perpetual brand licence from the LEGO Group.

Further reading: When Did LEGO Become Popular? A Brief History of the Brick · How Many LEGO Themes Are There? A 2026 Inventory.