Neighbor News
LEGO(R) Train Show Returns to DuPage County Historical Museum
LEGO® fans of all ages can see fantastic creations at the DuPage County Historical Museum, Saturday and Sunday, February 20-21, 10A-4P.
DuPage County, Ill.—The DuPage County Historical Museum’s permanent HO Gauge Model Railroad exhibit, covering over 2,000 feet of track, draws quite a crowd year-round. For one weekend only, the Museum welcomes another railroad with the LEGO® Train Show, February 20-21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Since their inception in 1949, LEGOs® have consistently been one of the most popular children’s toys in America, and in previous years, the LEGO® Train Show has been a consistently popular event, attracting over a thousand visitors between Saturday and Sunday.
“This will be the third time we have had the event,” said Michelle Podkowa, Museum Manager and Educator. “The Northern Illinois LEGO® Train Club (NILTC) has agreed to come back every other year to display their exhibit.”
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The LEGO® Train Show is operated by builders from the NILTC, “an adult LEGO® enthusiast group of 20 active members that enjoy building, designing, and displaying LEGO® creations for the public.”
NILTC started in 2001 with five members and has since grown to attract crowds in the tens of thousands to its displays, which occur six to seven times a year around Chicagoland.
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Past displays for the LEGO® Train Show have included the Willis Tower and other landmarks of the Chicago skyline, the Kane County Courthouse, electric guitars, and “Brickwater Canyon State Park,” an original creation.
“The displays always are morphing into new things,” said club president Jamie LeBlanc. “People will hopefully see some favorites from past years, but also new creations from the builders. Everyone is always building, creating, changing, or doing something totally different!”
The club’s impressive vignettes can generate more than a little excitement.
“Watching the children respond to the layout is amazing, but my favorite is watching the adults’ eyes light up when they realize it is not just fun for children,” Podkowa said. “Seeing different generations relate to each other through the aspects of LEGOs® and trains is incredible.”
This kind of intergenerational interaction is something Museum staff predicts will happen with Fun Unplugged, its new series of three exhibits. The first exhibit, “Childhood Memories,” opens to the public Saturday, February 13.
Artifacts and interactive stations will help guests understand how childhood and its activities have changed over time across DuPage County. Children’s programs and craft workshops will be offered throughout the span of the series.
Admission to the LEGO® Train Show is free, with a suggested donation of $4/person, the sum of which in 2014 “went towards purchasing the LEGO® model of our building,” said Podkowa. The model is located in a case on the first floor just past the entrance.
Explorers Club members get in one hour early! What’s the Explorers Club?
It’s an exclusive membership for kids who love the Museum, with benefits like an extra hour of access to the HO Gauge Model Train exhibit on Train Saturdays in March, June, September, and December, plus 10% off basic birthday party packages, a member gift, and an ID card.
$20/child, $10/additional child in same household. Join the club at dupagemuseum.org or call 630.510.4941!
No registration is required for the LEGO® Train Show. All ages welcome. To learn more, please visit dupagemuseum.org.
