For parents, Legos are usually seen as a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because they can keep our kids occupied for hours; a curse because they hurt so @#%?! much when you step on them.
Brick by Brick
- March 10-Feb. 20, 2017
- Exhibit requires an additional ticket with timed entry
- Museum of Science & Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
- msichicago.org
Those familiar building blocks are now at the center of Brick by Brick, the Museum of Science& Industry’s newest temporary exhibit.
“It’s all about the power of play and creativity,” says Jeff Buonomo, manager of special exhibitions. “Legos are something that everyone is familiar with; everyone has put together at least two Lego bricks.”
The exhibit involves 13 structures built by Lego Certified Professional Adam Reed Tucker. Visitors will be wowed by his renditions of Great America’s American Eagle roller coaster and the International Space Station. But the pièce de résistance is a 60-foot-long Golden Gate Bridge, the longest Lego structure to date.
“Adam’s work alone is … so sophisticated, it’s almost an exhibit in itself,” Buonomo says.
Tucker’s constructions also open the door to what MSI does best: bringing scientific concepts to kids’ levels. So Brick by Brick is also marked by engaging interactive opportunities that introduce principles of architecture and engineering. In the wind tunnel, kids can test their creations against high winds, while the seismic shaker determines if foam bricks hold their own against earthquake forces. (Spoiler alert: they don’t.)
There’s also a large open build section, a test race course, and areas that explore pulleys and beams.
It will help take the edge off the next time you step on one of those bleeping things on your way to the bathroom.
