"If you ever had any interaction with Lego when you get here you kind of get nostalgic," he said about LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia. Taylor, its general manager, has been working hard alongside his staff to make this hands-on experience safe for children and adults.
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The 30,000 square foot playground tucked inside the Plymouth Meeting Mall had suffered two shut downs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But thanks to increased safety precautions and some innovation, LEGOLAND has rebounded.
Guests are able to pick up their own personal bag of LEGO bricks to use during their visit. Those bags get power washed before they are passed onto the next customer. While they still encourage wearing a mask, they have allowed guests to unmask per CDC guidelines.
Now, Taylor says it's time for kids to get back out and have fun.
"The biggest thing I've noticed is the resilience in kids," he said. "A lot of people have said, 'hey, what's going to happen with our children with this?' They just want to get back in and do what they're used to doing."
Parents seem to agree.
"I think that it's great to have a place where kids can get out, interact," said Keri Plohocky, who visited during a road trip from West Virginia. "It means a lot more when they're doing hands-on stuff than if it's just virtual."
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The Plohocky family was one of many who are beginning to rebuild a sense of normalcy for their children.
"Slowly but surely, we're just kind of doing all different things now and getting the kids acclimated again to the world around them" said Erin Dolalas from Royersford, Pennsylvania.
LEGOLAND Discovery Center has opened more than 10 building stations, a soft-play playground, a laser maze, and a 4D theater among other attractions since it first opened in 2017. With various rotating themes to keep visits fresh, they are currently featuring designs based on Pirates around the playground.
For more information and hours of operation, visit their website.
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