Thousands of Legos used to recreate the Jersey Shore in 'Tilewood' display

The South Jersey Lego User Group is a welcoming, diversified all-ages meetup of Lego enthusiasts in the area.

ByTom Kretschmer WPVI logo
Thursday, December 1, 2022
South Jersey group keeping summer vibes alive using LEGOS
South Jersey group keeping summer vibes alive using LEGOS. Action News photojournalist Tom Kretschmer has the story.

WEST BERLIN, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Winter may be fast approaching in the Delaware Valley, but one South Jersey group is keeping summer alive - using Legos.

"Tilewood" is the latest creation from the minds at the South Jersey Lego User Group.

The club, based out of West Berlin, New Jersey, is a welcoming, diversified all-ages meetup of Lego enthusiasts in the area.

There are 30 members of the club right now.

Two years ago, during the pandemic lockout, they envisioned bringing everyone together to make a massive build.

And so "Tilewood" was created.

It's a recreation of Wildwood, Seaside Heights and Ocean City, all in Lego form.

It's so big it has to be transported on tables and assembled at the convention hall each time they move it.

"We get the same question every time," said club president Kristie Evans. "How many pieces did it take? Well, we don't know how many. There's no way to count the pieces. I do know that our clubhouse has more than 16,000 pounds of sorted Lego pieces."

It was on display at this year's Brickfest, a convention in Oaks, Pa. of Lego aficionados, young and old.

The Jersey Shore was a big part of Evans' youth.

"We wanted to capture the iconic elements from each shore town. Kids in our classes and adults in our club have a passion, an opportunity to be a kid again," said Evans.

The project has won "best collaborative display" in 2021 and 2022 at Brickfest. And they're not done showing it off just yet!

The club plans to travel with the display to other conventions and exhibits.

They're taking the essence of the Jersey Shore on the road. To find out more information on the club you can visit: sjlug.com.