Legoland is a group of theme parks based on the popular construction toy brand LEGO. The word LEGO is a trademark for the plastic toy bricks created by the LEGO Group, one of the world’s largest toymakers. The amusement parks feature large items built with LEGO bricks, as well as LEGO-themed rides. The parks are in countries around the world, including Denmark, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The first LEGOLAND opened in Billund, Denmark, in 1968. Billund was chosen as the location of the first theme park because it was home to the LEGO Group headquarters. Among other attractions, the park featured a LEGO railway line, puppet theater, and driving school. The park was a success. In the first season, more than 600,000 guests visited. LEGO Group began expanding the concept to other countries.
The parks are aimed at children ages 2 to 12. In addition to LEGO-themed rides and attractions, the parks feature live shows and building workshops. The British company Merlin Entertainments began operating LEGOLAND in 2005, when it purchased the parks and LEGOLAND brand from the LEGO Group.
