Need a new plan for one of these too-hot or "I'm bored" days? Take a deep breath, toss your Lego fanatic kids in the car, and visit the new Lego Store, which is opening at Westfield Southcenter this weekend. Grand opening events promise to be particularly awesome, with giveaways, a Hulk build, large-scale models on display and more.
The scoop
The store is located on Level 1 of the mall, across from XX1 Forever. When you enter the brightly colored space, look up and see that the ceiling is a giant Lego brick. Then show this to your kids (if they haven't done it before at another Lego store): Grab a Lego set and walk to the store’s “digital box,” then aim the front of the box at the camera. In a moment you’ll see yourself on the screen plus a build of the contents of the set including the fully built iconic buildings of the popular Architecture series, and the three options each Creator kit provides.
If you are used to buying your kid’s Lego sets at big-box stores, you’ll find the trip to the store is worth it just for the “Pick a Brick Wall” at the back of the store, a buffet of Legos. You start by grabbing either a large cup for $15.99 or a small cup for $8.99 and then fill the cup with a wide variety of LEGO pieces from bins on the wall. The filled cups come with a lid and make ideal travel toys that will engage kids for hours.
You’ll also find sets here that are exclusively to Lego stores, as well as accessories such as plastic “building plate” bases that make your kid’s brick creations easier to transport and display. There are also building areas in the store.
The staff are welcoming and helpful. Parents can get great recommendations from any store employee based on a child’s age and interests from the “old-school” Lego Classic Brick Box that allow kids to build whatever they can imagine to a huge collection of Star Wars-inspired sets. Store manager Kimberly Gassner-Harkness says when she hired her staff for the new store she looked for employees who offered great customer service and were genuinely enthusiastic about all things LEGO. “We play a lot and love to build with customers."
Consider signing up for LEGO’s VIP card while you are at the store. The card is free and you will earn points on each purchase, which will add up to a discount on a future purchase. You’ll also have the option to purchase hot-collector kits, such as the upcoming LEGO Ferrari kit, ahead of non-VIP members.
Grand opening events
When: Friday, July 17–Sunday, July 19
Events: Find all details here. Bring your kids to help a Lego master builder create an 8-foot Hulk in the Macy’s Court, play with Lego bricks and view large-scale Lego models. During the event, be one of the first 300 people each day to make a qualifying purchase at the Lego Store and you will receive a giveaway.
Tips: While the store is very similar to the Lego store in Bellevue, there are many kid-pleasing dining, shopping and play options at Westfield Southcenter. You’ll find a fun “Pokemon vending machine” near the store, as well as a Baskin & Robbins and TCBY frozen yogurt. The center also features a play space where kids can play with large puzzles, climb, and explore, and a family lounge with toys, kid-friendly TV programs, private nursing areas, and baby-changing stations. These are located in the Children's Wing by the Starbucks and Crazy 8 on Level 1, about five stores down from the Lego store.
New arcade and bowling alley: Families with tweens and teens might enjoy catching a movie at the MC Southcenter 16 movie theater or splurging on a trip to the newly opened Round 1 Bowling & Amusement, an entertainment center with bowling, arcade games, private karaoke rooms and billiards. Bumper lanes and ramps are available for kids, along with kid-sized balls and shoes.
Kids can play billards with their parents. And families will also enjoy playing Round 1’s arcade games together, including classics like Pac-Man Smash, Tekken, and Super Street Fighter; racing games like Initial D8, Show Down, and Mario Kart DX; action games like Jurassic Park and Star Wars Battle Pod; rhythm games like Groove Coaster, Sound Voltex and Project Diva; and redemption games like Candy Crush, Fish Bowl and Ocean Pearls. Families can also enjoy air hockey, claw machines and photo booths.
