The 1 Million LEGO Bricks in ‘Traveling Bricks’
Exhibition stops in Richmond with massive transportation models
An exhibition at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture honors classic toy and transportation history while celebrating the new LEGO manufacturing plant coming to Chesterfield. “Traveling Bricks” features 1 million LEGO bricks, including a 23.5-foot-long Titanic replica, a 10-foot-tall skyrocket, a 6.5-foot-long Boeing 747, and more than 100 other model vehicles.
The LEGO Group has a long and storied history, but for most of us, the stories are from our own lives. Whether we played with them as children or shared the building fun with our kids – and their kids – LEGO toys have added color to our lives.
Facing a global economic crisis in 1932, carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen began making wooden toys, like cars, trains, and yoyos, along with ladders, ironing boards, and other useful household items. His business became known as the LEGO Group.
Trains were an important component of the business from the beginning. In the 1940s, the LEGO Group added plastic toys to its range of products, introducing its first plastic train made of LEGO bricks in 1964.
Fast forward to the 1 million LEGO bricks
The “Traveling Bricks” exhibition makes its continental U.S. debut and precedes the LEGO Group’s opening of its first U.S. manufacturing plant.
The exhibition includes stories of Virginia’s history in air, space, land, and water transportation. It will also feature a quilt made entirely of LEGO bricks, created by LEGO clubs from Richmond Public Libraries and Chesterfield County Libraries to illustrate what Virginia youth love about the commonwealth.
The VMHC will also share the story of the LEGO Group and its arrival in Virginia with a stand-alone display that showcases the state-of-the-art LEGO factory’s contribution to Virginia’s manufacturing history.
After viewing the exhibition, guests can get creative with thousands of LEGO® bricks to build anything they can imagine.
Fortunately, one memory you won’t relive at the VMHC exhibition is stepping on a stray brick with bare feet. Instead, you can build more positive memories – on your own or with a favorite LEGO-loving kid.
“Traveling Bricks”
Oct. 19, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025
Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond
VirginiaHistory.org
FEATURED IMAGE courtesy of World Touring Exhibitions.
