legoland behind the scenes tour

Behind-the-scenes at the world’s first Lego Movie World, at Legoland Florida

Words:  Brady MacDonald

| 10 min read

The world’s first themed land dedicated to the “Lego Movie” film franchise, Lego Movie World opens shortly at Legoland Florida.

Lego Movie World opens March 27 with three attractions, a play area, restaurant and retail shop themed to the soon-to-be film franchise and the movie’s town of Bricksburg.

By  Brady MacDonald

I recently took a behind-the-scenes construction tour of Lego Movie World with Keith Carr from Merlin Magic Making, the creative arm of the theme park company . During my visit, construction crews were pouring cement and laying irrigation lines in the new land’s central hub. Bulldozers were moving dirt near the Unikitty drop tower. And plumbers were installing fire sprinklers inside the Masters of Flight flying theater. In all, as many as 90 people work on the construction site depending on the day.

Kids point of view

Carr and his team of magic makers often view the construction site from a crouched position in order to get a view of the land from a child’s perspective.

“We are built for kids,” says Carr, project director for Lego Movie World. “Everything is from the eyes of child. Everything is from those sightlines and how kids will interact with it.”

Like the rest of the theme park, the Lego brick-like buildings in Bricksburg are built on a scale that’s 25 times larger than a standard Lego brick. The goal: make Lego Movie World feel like something a kid could build at home.

“All the stuff that you see is truly scaled up. So kids can feel like they’ve taken the play set and they’ve brought it to life in the real world,” says Carr.

Creative spark

Carr immediately knew the “Lego Movie” could become a themed land when he saw the first film in theaters.

“There was just so many cool things you could pull off,” he says. “The mind starts creating. What can we make a ride out of that? How could we turn this into a different type of attraction?”

The popularity of the first film and the relatability of the characters helped push the project from the blue sky phase to the planning stages .

“When the first film came out, there was definitely interest in building a Lego Movie land,” Carr says. “When they first announced that they were going to look at doing a second film, that’s when we started having conversations about incorporating the land.”

The look of the land

Lego Movie World offers visual nods to the first two movies. It also allows for room to grow if the film franchise rolls out additional sequels.

“It’s not an actual street within Bricksburg,” says Carr. “It’s more of a mash-up of different buildings and things that you’ll see. The street facade itself will have a very Bricksburg feel to it. It will feel like downtown Bricksburg.”

The project continually evolved during the three-year creative process, says Carr. Merlin Magic Making worked closely with Warner Bros. Studios to make sure Lego Movie World had an evergreen look that would remain relevant as the film franchise progressed.

“Some of the early on concepts that we were working against, some of those characters have been written out or changed,” he adds. “We had to be very careful about what we picked. We could’ve designed a whole thing around a character that’s not in the movie anymore. And we were very close to going down that line.”

The Lego Movie World attractions play off of the personalities of key characters from the film like Emmet Brickowski , Wyldstyle , Unikitty and Benny the spaceman.

“We start with the personalities and characters,” says Carr. “Then develop off of those how we can incorporate them into the land.”

Masters of Flight

The new Masters of Flight flying theater coming to Lego Movie World will put riders in a triple-decker flying couch as they travel through the “Lego Movie” universe projected on a domed screen. The new ride replaces the former Speedorz Arena building.

One challenge the Merlin Magic Makers faced was how to dress the facade of the massive flying theater building that looms over the new land. The solution: turn the exterior into the pink, purple and green giant dog where the Lego master builders gather during the films.

Similar to Disney’s Soarin’ attractions, Masters of Flight will feature a flying theater system built by Brogent Technologies . Once riders are loaded, the seats on Brogent’s M-Ride system will rotate 180 degrees to face the domed screen.

From Bricksburg to Middle Zealand

Riders on Masters of Flight will run into familiar faces; like Emmet and Wyldstyle (voiced by Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks in the theatrical movies). New characters from the movie sequel will also pop up in the ride; including Sweet Mayhem (voiced in the sequel by Stephanie Beatriz from “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”). The new flying theater attraction will feature the voices of Alison Brie (“Glow,” “Community”) as Unikitty and Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) as Metal Beard .

The 4 1/2-minute flying theater film will take riders on an airborne journey from Bricksburg to Middle Zealand; Captain Brickbeard ’s pirate lair, Cloud Cuckoo Land and outer space.

Riders will sit in one of 66 seats on three floors within the flying theater. After visitors are seated, the gondolas will rotate 180 degrees and then project out 5 to 7 feet toward the domed screen.

A flying theater experience unlike another

“Guests won’t be able to see the screen or anything until it actually spins around,” says Carr. “These armatures will actually have you out over the open pit. When guests look down it feels like you are flying in space.”

During the ride, the gondolas will pitch up, down, left and right. Overhead canopies on the gondolas will be equipped with wind and mist machines. Riders will smell scents like pine, cotton candy and cannon gunpowder during their flight.

During my visit, we walked through the flying theater where workers were painting the gondolas and installing heating and air conditioning ducting. Seeing the 100-foot-wide by 80-foot-tall concave screen for the first time was jaw dropping.

Not one bad seat in the house

Merlin Magic Making has been working for a year with Warner Bros. on the development of the flying theater.

“We’ve worked hand-in-hand with Warner Bros. as well as the producers of the first and second films to make sure that we’re holding true to what their intent was with the films,” says Carr.

Carr rode a test version of Masters of Flight in Taiwan where Brogent has a test facility.

“There’s not a bad seat in the house,” he says. “The way that we designed it with the screen and the placement of the gondolas was that all guests would get the same experience.”

The next steps: completing construction on the massive screen and adding power to the rotating gondola seats. Testing will allow Merlin Magic Makers to fine-tune the ride for Legoland Florida’s core 4- to 12-year-old audience.

“It could be too intense,” says Carr. “We can just dial it back a bit.”

Battle for Bricksburg

The Battle for Bricksburg water ride will take riders in a construction vehicle through the flooded streets of the movie town. If that’s not strange enough, riders will fire water cannons at invading Duplo aliens. The quirky new attraction transforms the existing Quest for Chi boat ride as part of the Lego Movie Land expansion.

The Splash Battle interactive boat ride was built by Germany-based Mack Rides . The renovated attraction will feel like an outdoor shoot-em-up dark ride; with riders shooting at targets that trigger watery responses.

“The Splash Battle rides are great.” says Carr. “You have that same feel as a dark ride except you’re actually shooting real water instead of a laser beam. If you’re hitting the target, you’re getting somebody wet.”

The theme of the re-skinned ride draws from a post-apocalyptic scene in the sequel involving an invasion by giant Duplo aliens.

“It made perfect sense to tie it into the alien invasion,” says Carr. “So we can actually fight off the alien invaders. You can shoot kragle at them; freeze them in place and make sure we stop them from destroying Bricksburg.”

The re-themed ride follows the same track layout of the World of Chima water ride. Water cannons were added along the perimeter of the attraction to allow for more interaction between riders and spectators. With Lego discontinuing the Chima product line, Carr mentioned that it made sense to transform the popular water ride with the “Lego Movie” theme.

Unikitty’s Disco Drop

Unikitty’s Disco Drop will lift riders to the top of the kiddie drop tower before sending them bouncing and spinning back toward the ground. The attraction is set in Unikitty’s universe of Cloud Cuckoo Land. The ride cycles through the many personalities of the short-tempered hybrid cat-unicorn Lego figure.

The 10-seat Zierer tower ride will drop riders 35 feet. During my visit, water dummies were in the seats following testing of the attraction.

Adding the Unikitty theme to the drop tower was a natural fit, says Carr.

“The whole idea is that she bounces around everywhere,” he says. “This whole attraction as it comes down bounces and spins. That’s her personality in a nutshell.”

It didn’t hurt that Carr is a “huge Unikitty fan.”

“Her personality is fantastic,” he says. “Unikitty has all these different emotions and moods. She’s all over the map. She’s bubbly, she’s energetic. I relate to her.”

The mood on Unikitty’s LED face at the top of the ride tower will change as the ride progresses.

“As you’re pulling up she’s all happy, bouncy and cheerful,” Carr says. “As you start to drop, you’ll see her facial expression turn. At the end, she’ll turn green and queasy. We’ll see this transition of Unikitty as if she were experiencing the attraction with you.”

The Central Hub at Lego Movie World

The central hub will be dominated by a 30-foot-tall replica of Benny’s spaceship, which will double as a play structure. Benny’s Playship play area pays tribute to the bright blue Lego minifigure spaceman from the movies.

Nearby, a red-and-white crane being assembled by Lego workers will eventually dangle a Lego Movie World sign over visitors’ heads as they enter the new themed land.

A character meet-and-greet area will be set up in Emmet’s Super Suite; the hero’s downtown Bricksburg apartment. The indoor meet-and-greet area will take visitors into Emmet’s apartment for a photo op with the minifigure hero and his double-decker couch. A second green screen area will allow Legoland to change the photo background for seasonal and special events.

The new land will also feature a Taco Everyday restaurant and Awesome Shop gift store. The restaurant will be easy to spot with a 10-foot-wide Lego taco on the roof. A door next to Taco Everyday plays a series of knock-knock jokes when kids knock on the door.

Franchise Lands

Legoland Florida is jumping on the biggest trend in theme park development with an entire land dedicated to a single film franchise; in this case, “The Lego Movie.” The goal: create walk-through versions of the universes fans see in popular franchise movies, TV shows and video games.

Expect to see more themed lands dedicated to a single franchise coming to Legoland parks in the future.

“I think that’s going to be a continuing trend that you see us push for,” says Carr.

Universal Studios has had tremendous success with lands themed to the Harry Potter franchise . Disney has followed suit with lands dedicated to “Cars,” “Avatar,” “ Toy Story ” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” and soon “ Star Wars ” and “ Frozen .”

The new themed land at Legoland Florida is timed to the launch of “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”. It opened in theaters on February 8. The sequel follows Emmet as he sets out to rescue Benny, Unikitty, Brickbeard and other Lego characters after they are captured by a new villain.

Lego Movie World is Legoland Florida’s largest investment since the Winter Haven theme park opened in 2011. It replaces the World of Chima themed land that opened in 2013.

Plans are already in the works to build additional Lego Movie World theme lands at other Legoland parks around the world , according to theme park officials.

A New Hotel at Legoland Florida

As part of the expansion, the Legoland Hotel has added Lego Movie World themed rooms with kids bedrooms modeled after Benny’s spaceship. Legoland Florida will offer Lego Movie themed rooms at the existing Legoland Hotel beginning April 8. The Lego Movie rooms will take over space on the pirate-themed floor of the hotel in anticipation of the new Pirate Island hotel opening next door in 2020.

Note: As is common in the travel industry, Blooloop staff writers may receive free food, lodging or travel for the purpose of reviewing those services. However, these perks will not influence the coverage on Blooloop.

Images courtesy of Legoland Florida except where otherwise stated.

• Merlin Entertainments
• Attraction design
• Flying theatres

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Brady MacDonald

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Travel Babbo

A Family Travel Blog

The LEGO Inside Tour – The Best 3 Days Ever for a 7-Year-Old

By Eric Stoen on June 22, 2015 • Last Updated January 18, 2023 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure here .

The LEGO Inside Tour – a Review

The LEGO Inside Tour. I first heard of this tour at LEGOLAND Billund three years ago, and it seemed too good to be true – a Golden Ticket in the Willy Wonka spirit that lets 140 people a year (four groups of 35) tour the LEGO factory, meet the LEGO designers and go behind the scenes at LEGOLAND Billund and the LEGO operation overall. Yep, literally hundreds of millions of people play with LEGO bricks every year and only 140 of them get to see LEGO from the inside. Sign us up!

Actually, we waited three years because the minimum age for the tour is seven*, and my son (and the biggest LEGO fan in the family) only turned seven last September. This was the first time he would be eligible for the LEGO Inside Tour. How did we get tickets, you’re asking? Just by going online.

In September/October every year, LEGO’s website publishes the date when its Inside Tour tickets will go on sale for the following summer. It changes every year. Last year tickets went on sale at 1pm (Denmark time) on November 3rd. That meant 4am in California. No problem – I set my alarm, opened up a web browser, and clicked refresh a dozen times until I saw the registration form. I typed as quickly as I possibly could and hit Submit. I hoped for the best.

Three days later I received the magic emails: “Congratulations!” each began. “You made it to the list of participants of LEGO Inside Tour June 9-12.”

So what did the LEGO Inside Tour consist of? Everything! In my recap below I’ll note the highlights, but I’m purposely leaving out some details. There were surprises around every corner, and I don’t want to spoil them for any of you who are so inspired by this post that you get tickets for next summer. Suffice it to say it was a brilliantly-organized three days that gave us insights into every aspect of LEGOLAND Billund and beyond. It was extremely impressive how much thought they put into the details, especially because only 140 people a year get to see those details.

Arrival Day at LEGOLAND BILLUND

After spending two days in Oslo to recover from jet lag, we took an hour-long flight on SAS to Billund and then a five-minute taxi ride to the LEGOLAND Hotel . We arrived to find large packets of information waiting for us, in addition to multiple gifts and two season passes to LEGOLAND Billund with our photos on them. Cool! There were also two bags of LEGO bricks and a building challenge – the first of many building challenges throughout the week. As there were no official activities on the arrival day, off to LEGOLAND we went.

LEGOLAND Billund

We first visited LEGOLAND Billund six years ago, when we only had two kids (1 1/2 and 3 at the time). We love it – it’s a park with some rollercoasters for older kids, but is largely aimed at younger visitors. There’s a great DUPLO section for really small kids, there are rides for all ages, and there are opportunities everywhere to build with LEGO bricks. And a Tuesday afternoon in early June when European schools are still in session is a great time to go.

There were no lines at LEGOLAND Billund, so we went on several rides over and over. We bought some mini-figures. We had lunch. It was a great few hours. One of the things that I love about LEGOLAND Billund is seeing how different it is from Disneyland. There’s a real campfire where you can bake your own bread. Glass bottles? No problem. Dogs? Welcome.

LEGO Inside Tour Day One

Our first official day of the LEGO Inside Tour started with a get-together at the hotel, where we met the other lucky participants (from 11 countries), received name badges and created mini-figures in our likenesses to attach to the badges. We then headed off to the LEGO Idea House, which is really a LEGO museum only for LEGO employees. It’s a great museum – telling the story of LEGO founder Ole Kirk Christiansen and how he transitioned from building wooden toys to creating and refining the LEGO blocks.

The museum showcased a lot of the current sets and there were plenty of opportunities to build. But the coolest thing was the basement. In a highly-secure library-type setup with moveable stacks, there’s one copy of every LEGO set ever sold. We were able to go back to the very first sets, see (and hold) the initial Star Wars and architecture sets, see the product lines that have come and gone, and drool over all of the sets that simply don’t exist anymore, even on the collector market.

From there we went back to the LEGOLAND Hotel and met with several LEGO designers who told us about how they came to work for LEGO, showed us the sets that they’ve designed, and even showed us sets that haven’t been released yet. That made us drool a little more! They then led us into a building challenge where everyone was split up into teams. Each team had to work together to create an object out of LEGO bricks to solve a specific problem (see, I’m not giving away all of the details!), and it was fun seeing how different each of the solutions was. It was a great chance to get to know others on the tour.

After dinner, there was yet another building challenge. We had access to pretty much every LEGO brick and element and could design anything we wanted. The specific challenge was to create something that would fit well into the LEGO product catalog – something that could be sold at a reasonable price point and would be fun for others to build and play with. My son and I built for a couple of hours, handed in our creations and went to bed. Some people worked on their creations well into the night.

LEGO Inside Tour Day Two

Day Two started with a trip to LEGO Headquarters. We surrendered our phones and cameras and were taken to a presentation room where we saw some of the LEGO products in development. Most interesting was a demonstration of LEGO Worlds – a new online game that allows you to build a world slightly similar to Minecraft but with a definite LEGO feel and LEGO twists throughout. We can’t wait to play it at home!

From there, we drove over to the LEGO Factory. Talk about a very, very cool experience! We saw every element of the factory and every stage of the LEGO creation and long-term storage. Highlights were:

• The huge silos holding tiny granules of plastic (technically acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) that become LEGO bricks and the pipes that take those granules to the molding machines;
• The incredibly heavy, incredibly expensive molds that have been precisely crafted to create every LEGO element – from the standard bricks to the unique parts of various sets (think Ninjago swords or Christmas trees);
• The machines that melt the plastic and inject it into the molds for just a few seconds before a recognizable brick is ejected into a storage box;
• The robots that roam the factory to replace the full storage boxes with empty boxes (based on weight) and transport them to a conveyor system leading to long-term storage;
• The long-term storage facility. It reminded me of the final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark – an enormous facility with shelving that continued forever – both away from us and up almost as far as we could see. We watched a robot take each storage box, read its bar code, and then decide where to move it for storage. Amazing!

I wish I could post photos of the factory during our LEGO Inside Tour, but as with most of the places we visited we weren’t allowed to take pictures. Just another reason for you to sign up for next year’s LEGO Inside Tour and see it for yourself! FYI, in response to all of the emails I get, the LEGO factory in Billund is 65,000 m 2  – approximately the size of 11 football fields.

The next stop on the tour was the LEGO campus and the warehouse/distribution center. We took a tour of the facility, had lunch and met with more LEGO designers to see the clay-molding process that leads to the creation of new elements and mini-figures. So much fun to see the process and meet the people who have created some of the coolest LEGO elements, including the electronic elements like light-up bricks and Mindstorms. We also had a quiz on LEGO trivia and a very fun unexpected activity that was one of my son’s highlights. I’m not going to say exactly what it was, but let’s just say that we now have a lot of new mini-figures at our house.

And our day was only half-over! Next up was a trip to the LEGO employee shop, where we were able to purchase LEGO sets and products at the employee discount. We went crazy! I think we bought 15 or so new sets that are now being shipped to our house. Many, many weeks of LEGO creation will be arriving at our door very soon.

From the employee store, we went to a small showroom dedicated to the new LEGO House. This is going to be great when it’s finished – a museum similar to the internal one that we visited the day before, but far larger and open to the public in Billund. The architecture is amazing – the building looks like it’s made of LEGO bricks, and in an incredibly creative, stacked way (see below). The LEGO House will open in the next two years and looks to be well worth a visit – or for us a return visit. Too bad our season passes will have expired by then!

After a short break, we went to dinner inside a closed LEGOLAND Park with even more LEGO designers. I can’t overstate how interesting it is being able to talk to these men and women about the design process and the stories behind the designs (like for the Chima and Ninjago sets). Then after dinner, we went back to the hotel for an awards ceremony for the creations that we made the night before. Some of the designs from our fellow participants were amazing! The cool thing was that everyone had the same bricks and elements to craft from and everyone created such different, unique things. My son won a LEGO Star Wars set for his “shooter shark ship”. I was a non-winner but received a LEGO Superhero set as a consolation prize.

LEGO Inside Tour Day Three

Day Three centered around LEGOLAND Billund . We got to go behind the scenes to see the other side of the rides and meet the designers/crafters who create the large LEGO sculptures in the parks. Very interesting to see the creative process, talk about maintenance and replacement of the sculptures, and see the integration of mechanical elements with some of the creations.

We then had lunch in the park and returned to the hotel for a speech by a LEGO recruiter. After three days of being in the LEGO world and mindset, of course, you’re thinking “wow, it would be so cool to work here.” So it was brilliant to close out the tour with a speech about, well, how we could go to work for LEGO. It’s not easy to get hired, and there are a lot of other people worldwide who want to work for LEGO, but the company is growing quickly and hiring.

Some of the employees we met had done the LEGO Inside Tour years before, so there is definitely an employment path for those who wish to pursue it. I’m a travel writer so I’m moving on, but wow, I’ll always remember these three days. It truly was an extraordinary bucket list experience , and if you think it sounds great as well, remember that I’m leaving out some of the coolest elements to maintain the surprise, including a very unique gift at the end. Start checking the Inside Tour website now! And let me know if you get in next year.

Summary Information

Kid Friendly:  Very! Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Airline/Routing:   United  LA-Newark-Oslo and then SAS Oslo-Billund a couple of days later. We departed on a direct Billund to Amsterdam flight on KLM a couple of hours after the LEGO Inside Tour ended.

Hotel:  LEGOLAND Hotel .   Three nights with a park-view room (basically inside the park) are included with the Inside Tour ticket. There would be no reason to want to stay anywhere else. The hotel was great and I fully trusted my son to roam the hotel without me, playing with his new friends or heading to the lobby, screening room or gift store.

Total Trip Length:  Four Days

Days of School Missed:  Zero (summer break)

Cost:   The Inside Tour the year we went cost roughly US$2,200 per person. It was worth it! That included three nights at the LEGOLAND Hotel , meals for three days, wine, LEGOLAND Billund season passes, a visit to the company store where we saved hundreds of dollars using the employee discount, all of the activities/events I mentioned above, and many, many unique gifts, including two truly priceless ones at the end. Plus it was the trip of a lifetime for a seven-year-old, and is way up there on my “coolest things ever” list as well.

*Important Note

2019: Unfortunately LEGO has changed the minimum age of the Inside Tour to 10. Pretty grinch-like if you ask me, since it was an absolutely perfect trip for seven-year-olds. By ten my son had switched from LEGO to football/soccer. They now have a one-day LEGO Fan Tour that includes a lot of the Inside Tour elements for a much less expensive price and that is still open to seven-year-olds.

More from Travel Babbo

June 25, 2015 at 2:37 am

Hi, were you allowed to buy anything there, like sets or bulk lots of certain bricks?

Alec Australia

June 25, 2015 at 10:40 am

Hi Alec. At the employee store we were allowed to buy any sets that we wanted (but only two max of the same set) and up to 16 minifigures. I don’t remember seeing bulk lots or containers of bricks there.

June 30, 2015 at 7:59 pm

Great review! I was lucky enough to go on the next tour (16-19 June) and had a very similar experience to yours. Definitely an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was wondering if you’ve received your purchase from the Lego employee shop yet and, if so, how long did it take to arrive? I’m eagerly awaiting my order and am trying to get a sense of how much longer I’ll likely need to wait 🙂

Thanks! Craig

June 30, 2015 at 8:20 pm

Hi Craig – our two boxes were delivered in Colorado June 22, so 11 days after we were at the store. Not sure where you are, but by that math you should have had yours yesterday. Hopefully you get them soon! We’re already done with the Death Star and moving on to the other sets!

August 9, 2022 at 8:18 am

WHERE IS THE LINK>

August 9, 2022 at 8:27 am

In the post at the end of the Day Three section.

January 26, 2016 at 6:39 am

I have two grandchildren, the boy has gotten every set Lego makes. However, I was wondering if they would look out of place since they are now 14 & 15.

January 26, 2016 at 8:26 am

No, they wouldn’t be out of place at all on the LEGO Inside Tour. There were only a few young kids on our tour, there were some older kids and there were a lot of adults. Everyone fit in well. As long as someone enjoys being creative with LEGO blocks, the trip is for them.

February 16, 2016 at 11:35 am

Was 7 a good age for the tour? My 7-year-old loves Legos, but I’m wondering if a special experience like this is better saved for when he is a few years older (when he might appreciate and remember it more)?

February 25, 2016 at 1:01 am

Seven was a perfect age. Kids change and move onto different passions. If you have a 7-year-old who loves LEGO, try to get onto the next tour. Even now at 8 1/2 my son is playing with LEGO bricks a lot less. Any age would have fun on the tour, but passionate fans will have the most fun.

April 1, 2016 at 4:29 pm

How much did you pay for lego in employee store? how much discount you get? I hope to go there, it seemed very fun.

April 1, 2016 at 4:36 pm

We weren’t allowed to have cameras or cell phones with us so I couldn’t check prices, but when I did rough calculations later that day the discounts were anywhere between 40% and 50%.

April 13, 2016 at 4:04 pm

Great article. I’m on the first tour this year. Leaving in less than 4 weeks. You must know how excited I am. I’ve been scouring the net for reviews and any information I can find. This was a great read. Thanks. Were there any other participants from the US on your tour? Just curious.

April 13, 2016 at 8:09 pm

Have fun! Yes, there were a few other Americans, but otherwise it was a diverse group.

May 21, 2016 at 11:50 am

Hi, I’m in the second tour in a few days so i’m very very excited !!! Can we buy more sets that the box sent by LEGO and how can we do to send them at home because that’s very interesting ? @ J : is the exclusive set great this year ? What do you think without reveal it ? Thanks. Julien.

May 22, 2016 at 7:59 am

Very cool – have fun! They’ll ship one full box per person to your home for free. You can also take things with you, up to their purchasing maximums – e.g. no more than x minifigures, two copies of any given set, etc… Then it’s up to you to figure out how to get the excess (plus the exclusive sets) home!

June 19, 2016 at 8:46 am

Is the application first-come,first-served basis? Thanks.

June 19, 2016 at 9:04 am

My assumption is that it is, however they reserve the right to not accept people who have gone on the tour before.

July 2, 2016 at 3:32 am

I’m saving this article for when our youngest boys are 7. Seems like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thanks for sharing!

August 2, 2016 at 5:39 pm

Tickets are available on LEGO’s website. They go on sale once a year and are gone within minutes. You’ll need to check the website after the summer to see when they will be on sale for 2017.

August 2, 2016 at 11:24 pm

It used to be first come first served, not for 2016 though. There were people on the tour that signed up days/weeks after registration was open. Some casual fans were on the tour. Many people had tried for years to get on the tour. It was also just 2 nights, same price though. Registration is usually in early November.

August 8, 2016 at 12:43 pm

Thanks for the update. That’s great if they’ve moved away from first come/first served. That made it too difficult to sign up with kids.

November 15, 2016 at 7:54 am

After 2 years of not getting in, we finally got into the tour next (2017) year! We are excited to participate in 2017! Any preparation tips? do you have any travel suggestions leading up to the trip? We will be travelling from Canada so we have the possibility to stop in Iceland, or spend a few days in Denmark?

November 15, 2016 at 10:35 am

Congratulations on getting in! I don’t have any preparation tips other than doing research in advance on the pricing of the sets that you want to purchase. We didn’t have access to cell phones during the visit to the company store, so I wasn’t able to easily compare prices.

For travel, it’s not necessary to spend time in Billund before or after the Inside Tour – there’s not much to do outside of LEGO – so you have all of Europe as an option. Check out the Billud Airport Wiki page . That lists all of the non-stop flights to/from Billund. That may give you some ideas.

February 25, 2017 at 7:10 pm

This is a great review. I am so excited that my son received his wish and his Make A Wish trip will be this Lego tour in 2017. Thank you for the sneak peek. We have not received all of our information but the days are quite full. It shows out evening break but I wanted to see what type of other breaks they had(lunch, bathroom, snacks). I just like to be prepared. Thank you for taking the time for this review and your reply!

February 26, 2017 at 12:37 pm

That’s great that you got onto a tour! I honestly don’t remember the break schedule, but everything scheduled was fairly casual – even at the museum or during building competitions, we could always duck out for the bathroom or for a snack. They take care of you. All meals were scheduled/included, and I don’t remember ever getting hungry.

February 27, 2017 at 10:05 am

Awesome, thank you so much for responding! We are truly so excited and feel so blessed. I tend to over prepare sometimes just due to some of his medical needs.

February 28, 2017 at 12:42 am

Hi, I was very lucky to do the LEGO INSIDE TOUR last year and this year that will be my wife and daughter in law who are going to do it in the second session of May, when are you going Melissa ? The organisation is absolutely perfect and the staff is very professionnal and guarantee you a nice journey. So i come back this year to spend time in the LEGOLAND Park. We are very very excited !!! You can have a look on my last year review at this link on a french website : http://www.hothbricks.com/lego-inside-tour-2016-julien-y-etait-raconte/ You can easily translate, if you have any questions don’t hesitate ! Regards. Julien.

April 3, 2017 at 2:17 pm

Aaaaaand this is the coolest thing I’ve ever read about. Bummed that my son will only be 6.5 when we’re in Europe next year!

August 11, 2017 at 11:35 am

Thank you for the great review, we hope to get into the next tour !

August 11, 2017 at 11:56 am

October 9, 2017 at 12:14 pm

We are anxiously anticipating our LIT in a couple weeks. I have become an avid reader of your blog and I appreciate your values as it relates to luggage and the hassle/benefit it holds.

We are travelling to Copenhagen a few days before the tour and then will be attending the LIT. If you were to do it again/over what would you take as luggage? We are travelling as a family (two adults one preteen!)

October 17, 2017 at 7:55 am

Have fun on the Inside Tour! I didn’t realize that they shifted them from summer-only. That’s great.

I would say to definitely have some extra room in your luggage. The store will ship sets for you, but you’ll be receiving other things during your trip, including the exclusive sets at the end (three of them if there are three of you).

October 17, 2017 at 11:02 am

To secure the LIT set i would keep it in the cabin luggage… You’ll bring back too the model that you’ll create during the building challenge of the first evening. Many goodies too + the LEGO House visit including the 21037 set. At the employee shop that’s very interesting for the big sets : imagine the new MF 75192 half price 🙂 Let us know if the exclusive set will be the same that the previous group of this year.

November 5, 2017 at 7:51 am

Hey Julien,

We are back from the LIT 2017. Yes. The LIT set was the same as those handed out in May/June. We are very happy with the he set, but haven’t built it yet! Unfortunately the UCS Millenium Falcoln is even sold out at the employee store, although there was one at the Lego House store. Even at half price, it’s still expensive, although we were lucky enough to have dinner one night with its designers, so that would have made it easier to justify.

The LIT did not disappoint!

October 31, 2017 at 2:55 am

Can you shed any light on when it is you pay the LIT tour fee? is it straight away on the day you do the application form or within a certain number of days after being accepted?

Regards, Richard

October 31, 2017 at 8:58 am

Our Inside Tour started June 9. Payment was due by February 27.

November 5, 2017 at 7:52 am

We were on the October 2017 tour and our payment was due before Christmas 2016 😱😱😱😱. But worth it! Good luck!

November 29, 2017 at 8:36 pm

An article inThe Guardian claims the factory is half a kilometre long

November 30, 2017 at 10:10 am

Thanks! Just received official notice from LEGO that the factory is 65,000 m2 and approximately 11 football fields.

February 2, 2018 at 4:21 am

how big is the lego staff shop? i’m going on the tour in september ☺☺☺☺☺

February 2, 2018 at 7:12 am

It’s big! They had most things there that we wanted. Easily enough that we filled up our allotted boxes.

April 21, 2018 at 7:29 pm

For a 7 year old and for me Eric LOL!

May 25, 2019 at 6:49 pm

Can you arrange for a group of 15 students & educators?

May 25, 2019 at 7:31 pm

I can’t do anything. I was simply a participant. You’re welcome to contact LEGO and ask them.

February 28, 2021 at 5:56 pm

How much is shipping for what you buy at the Lego employee discount shop from Billund to The US. If it’s 1 box for free does that mean 1 set or a shipping box that can hold multiple sets?

February 28, 2021 at 6:58 pm

It’s one large box per person for free that holds a lot of LEGO sets.

August 30, 2021 at 4:17 am

What information do I need to fill in for registration?

August 30, 2021 at 12:54 pm

If you go to the Inside Tour website, linked in the blog post, you will see that LEGO has four tours in 2022 and they go on sale on October 26, 2021. If you go to the website on that date you will see the information you need to complete.

July 16, 2022 at 8:29 pm

i will have a ticket for the LIT 2022

just a question: I come by car, so can bring the lego sets i buy easily home. But after shopping in the employee-store… where do you leaf the sets you bought?

bring them back in the hotel, let them in the bus, they will bring it to you car?

July 23, 2022 at 2:02 am

Hi Harm. Have an amazing time!

Since they kept our sets to ship them to us, I cannot speak to the best way to transport your sets from the store. That’s a question for your LEGO representative.

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LEGO ® Fan Tour

Home of the brick – and much more.

LEGO ® House takes you on a unique 1-day tour ‘behind the scenes’ of the LEGO Group. Listen to the sound of LEGO bricks being moulded at the factory, visit the home of LEGO founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and re-discover the LEGO sets of your childhood in the internal museum. Last but absolutely not least we will take you on an inspiring guided tour of the awesome LEGO House, where you can see giant LEGO models close up, and finally you will get at least 2 hours of free playtime in LEGO House. The tour even includes tickets to return to LEGO House next day on your own.

Duration: 1 full day

LEGO Fan Tour 2nd half year 2024

2024 dates: 13 May / 9 September/ 20 September/ 28 October/ 8 November/ 18 November/ 22 November/ 9 December 2024

​ Sign-up: Sign-up for LEGO Fan Tours 2nd half year 2024 is now open. Book your tour via the "Tours & Events" calendar at the bottom of this page.

What can you expect?

Go behind the scenes at the lego group.

Join a group of 25 passionate LEGO fans for a guided tour of LEGO House and other amazing LEGO sites that are normally only accessible to LEGO employees. Your adventure will take off at the LEGO House and rocket you into the LEGO universe!

• Visit LEGO founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen’s home. Take in the atmosphere of the rooms where toy history was made more than 90 years ago.
• Re-discover your childhood favourites and other LEGO sets and models dating all the way back to when it all started in our internal museum.
• See LEGO bricks of all shapes and colours being produced as we take you on a guided tour of our factory.
• Wrap it all up with a captivating, guided tour of the LEGO House, with plenty of time for play and immerse into the many possibilities of the house and of course we will make sure that you have free play time in the house as well.

Terms and conditions

• The price per person for taking part in the LEGO Fan Tour is 4,499 DKK.
• The tour includes a full-day guided experience.
• The tour includes tickets to return to LEGO House next day on your own.
• The tour includes lunch, beverages, and snacks to keep you energized all day.
• All communication on the LEGO Fan Tour will be in English.
• The minimum age to participate is 10 years. Guests between 10 and 17 years old must be accompanied by an adult participant.
• Travel costs to and from Billund, Denmark are not included.

Transportation

Participants are responsible for arranging travel to and from LEGO House, Billund, Denmark. Billund has an international airport ( www.billundlufthavn.dk ) and LEGO House is only a short drive away by car. There is easy access to taxis from the airport. You can also take public transport from Copenhagen and create a travel plan via the Danish Railway website: www.dsb.dk .

Explore other areas

Start your planning here

We’ve collected a lot of tips on how to get the best possible experience in LEGO House, including the best ways to get here, parking, accommodations and more.

Upcoming events

See upcoming activities and events in LEGO House, and find just the event that suits you best.

LEGO House Brick Tour

Get the ultimate LEGO House experience in a small group with your own tour guide.

Make the most of your LEGOLAND® experience as a VIP

VIP experience

Buy a VIP experience for an extraordinary and magical day at LEGOLAND®. The experience includes:

• private host from 10-17
• behind-the-scenes tour
• private character Meet'N Greet
• VIP parking
• VIP entrance to the park
• unlimited access to snacks
• VIP keychain
• one Coca-Cola Freestyle per person
• digital photo pass
• free access to gold digging and traffic school (children 6-13 years only)
• priority access to all driving activities

Min. 2 people and max. 5 people per booking. If you are more than 5 people, simply create 2 bookings. 1 private host is included per booking

Discover the LEGOLAND® VIP experience!

Experience LEGOLAND® like royalty with our VIP package! From a dedicated host and exclusive tours to a private Meet N' Greet and priority access - every moment has been thought out to ensure you have an adventurous experience in the park. Of course, the experience also includes VIP parking, lunch and much more. Book now and create unforgettable memories.

Below you can see a few highlights of what's included in the VIP package.

Book a package and go to the place where imaginations build and build!

Meet N' Greet

Behind-the-scenes tour

LEGO® gift

One Coca-Cola Freestyle per person

Unlimited Digital Photos

Private host from 10-17

Book accommodation

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of Summer Game Fest Play Days 2024

S ummer Game Fest 2024 officially wrapped up on June 10, after a long weekend of game previews, developer interviews and unlimited cold brew — but we just published our final stories from the show this week (held under embargo, of course). Those were Mat Smith's impressions of Black Myth: Wukong and Tales of the Shire , and they capped off a month of juicy video game news out of the summer's biggest show.

No, Silksong did not make an appearance.

There were, however, plenty of bright and shiny games at the show, and many of them were available to play for the first time ever. Our hands-on and first-look stories include Assassin’s Creed Shadows , Astro Bot , Dragon Age: The Veilguard , Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess , Lego Horizon Adventures , Marvel Rivals , Metaphor: ReFantazio , Neva  and Skate Story .

On top of the playable previews, Day of the Devs, Devolver, Xbox and Ubisoft held their own showcases brimming with new information and game reveals, and the big Summer Game Fest kickoff event was similarly stacked. Just to name a few of the hits: There's a new Doom  with a medieval flair (and flail), Civilization VII is coming out in 2025, Slitterhead  will land on November 8, Heart Machine is building a gorgeous-looking platformer called Possessor(s) , and the Fable  reboot is due out in 2025. There are also new Xbox Series consoles coming out this fall — and as it turns out, Microsoft's mid-cycle refresh says a lot about the Xbox hardware business as a whole, especially when compared to the company's internal roadmap that leaked in October 2022.

After E3 collapsed on itself like a sad soufflé, Summer Game Fest has emerged as the home of mid-year video game goodness, offering a little more room for smaller studios and plenty of space to grow. It's been four years of digital and physical Summer Game Fest events at this point, and the show just keeps getting better.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here !

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Plan Your Visit : View latest updates on Opening Hour and ride schedules here .

Behind The Scence Tour

Go deep behind the scenes

BEHIND THE SCENE TOUR

There’s a lot going on beneath the surface at the SEA LIFE aquarium and now you can team up with our expert aquarist guides and discover how we care for our marine and fresh-water creatures with Behind-The-Scene Tour.

You’ll have privileged access to the working areas usually closed to the public where you can learn about our extensive breeding, research and conservation programmes and see how the fish food is prepared!

• History & facts
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Former Croydon Airport Opens for Behind-the Scenes Tours

Before Heathrow and Gatwick, there existed Croydon; the biggest air hub in the globe back then. Constructed in 1920, this was the airport that first launched UK’s international flights. It is credited for being a major player in the development of global air travel after the First World War. It was also the birthplace of Air Traffic Control.

Then came the Second World War, and it was bombed. This happened in 1940, and it was one the city’s first raids. Although it continued its operations, it was officially shut down in 1958. It has since been abandoned until now, and interested visitors can now revisit the past at the Croydon Airport Museum.

The general public is invited to explore its former airport buildings with the limited behind-the-scenes tours. The approximate duration for each tour is about 45 minutes.  Admission is free, but visitors can choose to donate £ 8. Anyone who fancies to check in is advised to book in advance, since the visitor centre is open once a month. That means, tickets sell out quickly due to the high demand. The next opening date is July 7, 2024, and tickets will be on sale on Sunday (June 23 rd ). You can find them online by visiting the website.

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !

London Announces New Location For Its Cultural Festival

These are  Amazon’s best-selling  travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

• The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 –  Learn more here
• Fodor’s Paris 2024 –  Learn more here

Travel Gear

• Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack –  Learn more here
• Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage –  Learn more here
• Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle –  Learn more here

Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.

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Watch Post Malone Freak Out Over How Typewriters Work in Taylor Swift’s ‘Fortnight’ Behind-the-Scenes Video

"This is amazing," the "Circles" artist marvels.

By Anna Chan

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Post Malone touched a typewriter for a “Fortnight” there, and now, he’s all about forever with the old-school writing machine. Taylor Swift revealed the amusing moment when she dropped a behind-the-scenes video of the making of her visual for The Tortured Poets Department ‘s lead single featuring the song’s collaborator on Friday (June 21).

Post Malone and Blake Shelton Party On With ‘Pour Me a Drink’: Stream It Now

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She then goes on to explain that the “Circles” artist is on set and would be filming the scene where the two are sitting across from each other, working on their typewriters. While showing Posty how to use the contraption — not one of the more modern electric ones, but a classic typewriter — she moves the paper shelf back to the other side to start a new line. To that, the rapper exclaims delightedly, “All you do is move it! This is amazing! I feel very steampunk!”

Taylor Swift Shouts Out Cardiff Eras Tour Crowd for Being ‘Truly Out of Control in the Best Way…

Swift, 34, then points out to her 28-year-old collaborator, “We don’t work in typewriters! Millennials don’t see that s–t!”

Not yet done exploring the contraption, Post asks her, “How do you get a shift” — when his jaw suddenly drops with surprise — “What the hell! I’m buying this right now! This is too much fun. Ya’ll shouldn’t have let me play!”

As the behind-the-scenes video wrapped, Swift reviews a shot with Posty. “Look at this! You don’t see happiness from either of us, and then we come around and find you!” she exclaims. “You went nuts! Look at this! Ooooh! No tats and so happy!”

“It’s f–king amazing! It’s amazing. I think it’s stunning,” Post responds as the pop star screams in delight at how the video is coming together, before congratulating her on her work and high-fiving her. “One Take Tay!”

Watch the “Fortnight” behind-the-scenes video below.

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Take a behind-the-scenes tour of Summer Game Fest Play Days 2024

Say hello and goodbye to the show of the summer..

Summer Game Fest 2024 officially wrapped up on June 10, after a long weekend of game previews, developer interviews and unlimited cold brew — but we just published our final stories from the show this week (held under embargo, of course). Those were Mat Smith's impressions of Black Myth: Wukong and Tales of the Shire , and they capped off a month of juicy video game news out of the summer's biggest show.

No, Silksong did not make an appearance.

There were, however, plenty of bright and shiny games at the show, and many of them were available to play for the first time ever. Our hands-on and first-look stories include Assassin’s Creed Shadows , Astro Bot , Dragon Age: The Veilguard , Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess , Lego Horizon Adventures , Marvel Rivals , Metaphor: ReFantazio , Neva   and Skate Story .

On top of the playable previews, Day of the Devs, Devolver, Xbox and Ubisoft held their own showcases brimming with new information and game reveals, and the big Summer Game Fest kickoff event was similarly stacked. Just to name a few of the hits: There's a new Doom   with a medieval flair (and flail), Civilization VII is coming out in 2025, Slitterhead   will land on November 8, Heart Machine is building a gorgeous-looking platformer called Possessor(s) , and the Fable   reboot is due out in 2025. There are also new Xbox Series consoles coming out this fall — and as it turns out, Microsoft's mid-cycle refresh says a lot about the Xbox hardware business as a whole, especially when compared to the company's internal roadmap that leaked in October 2022.

After E3 collapsed on itself like a sad soufflé, Summer Game Fest has emerged as the home of mid-year video game goodness, offering a little more room for smaller studios and plenty of space to grow. It's been four years of digital and physical Summer Game Fest events at this point, and the show just keeps getting better.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here !

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SNYDE | Taylor Swift drops exclusive behind-the-scenes…

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SNYDE | Taylor Swift drops exclusive behind-the-scenes “Fortnight” footage with Post Malone

The 14-time Grammy winner shared clips on Friday, offering an inside look at her creative process.

“This is basically, in my mind, taking place in the tortured poets department, which is a government municipal building where they study the behaviors and minds of poets,” she explained. “One of the stereotypical things about poets over the years is people said they were crazy. … Nothing says crazy like a slight tilt to the head.”

In one of the more candid moments, Post Malone appears to be in awe at a classic typewriter.

“We don’t see working typewriters. Millennials don’t see that s–t,” Swift said, before demonstrating to her co-star how to properly use the 19th-century contraption .

In another clip, Swift explained her admiration for music video production.

“The thing I really love about being on set is sometimes you figure out the shot two seconds before you do it and it makes all the difference,” the 34-year old said. “Something about getting here puts more pressure on you to put details into what you are doing, and I really love when that happens.”

Malone, no stranger to video shoots himself, walked away from the experience impressed by Swift’s abilities behind the camera.

“It’s f—ing amazing. I think it’s stunning,” he remarked, referring to her as “one-take Tay!”

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Best MLB stadium tours: Go behind the scenes at these ballparks

“Life is an adventure, it’s not a package tour.”  – German philosopher Eckhart Tolle 

If you enjoy going on “package tours” of historic mansions, foreign cities or fascinating museums, why not take a tour at a Major League Baseball stadium? We won’t tell Tolle, but let’s consider such a guided tour our own little “adventure.” 

While it varies by venue, such tours typically lead you through the clubhouse, press box, workout facilities, batting cages under the stands, a dugout … and some will even allow you to walk onto the playing field. If the team has its own museum, those are likely to be included. The Atlanta Braves, for instance, include a curated look at their exceptional Monument Garden at Truist Park when you take one of their tours.  

When planning a tour of a Major League ballpark, keep several things in mind: 

Pro Tip No. 1: For the most behind-the-scenes experiences, go when the team doesn’t have a home game.  

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

You will often see notices listing features you won’t be able to see when there is a game that day. So even though you are likely to pay the same whether such access is permitted or denied, you’ll get more for your money when the team is on the road, or has an off-day during a homestand. 

Pro Tip No. 2  Hurry to visit an older ballpark. You might not get another chance.   

Derrick Sloboda of Fort Wayne, Indiana considers himself quite fortunate that he took a tour at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park before it was demolished. The Giants had already moved closer to downtown at what is now called Oracle Park, and the 49ers were about to move south to Santa Clara, so Candlestick was in its final weeks.  

“The guide extended the tour by an hour because so many people were saying ‘good bye,’ (so) we had half hour on the field, which was great,” recalls Sloboda. 

Keep in mind that the main purpose of taking a guided tour is to create memories, and once that venue is gone, those memories will be even more special to you. 

Pro Tip No. 3: Try to overlook the high prices  

Typically the money you pay for the tour goes to a charity or “foundation” operated by the team, or one that’s meaningful to the ownership. The prices can be pretty high (VIP Tours at some parks top $500), but you’ll get to visit parts of the facility that fans rarely get to see.  

So rather than focusing on what it costs, think about the charity your purchase is supporting. And appreciate that you and your family are getting to experience the places where your favorite players do their work. 

It’s hard to put a price tag on that. 

Join us now for our ranking of the five MLB parks with the best tours (OK, I’m cheating by including six!), based partially on the experiences of visitors to my BaseballParks.com site. 

1. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles  

While other teams might offer you one or two options of tours, the Dodgers provide 11 ! These range from the standard walking stadium tour ($30, and kids and seniors are $25), to the pregame tour of landmarks within the ballpark ($45), to the "Take the Field Tour" where you can play catch in the outfield ($175, only on non-game days – bring your glove!) all the way to the $500 VIP Tour that includes getting to greet the players as they take batting practice.  

Most of these experiences include a tour of the Vin Scully Press Box, which is Holy Ground to me, because it’s where I actually got to meet Vin about a dozen years ago!

While on a trip to visit relatives in California, Dutch citizen Chris Kabout thoroughly enjoyed his visit to Chavez Ravine. “The tour showed you the press boxes, old locker rooms, showcases with trophies, gold gloves, retired jerseys, the dugout and you were allowed to walk on the dirt,” he recalls. 

The Netherlands resident added that the tour’s guide kept things lively by asking the group trivia questions about the Dodgers. And considering the team dates back to 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays, there is a lot of trivia to discuss! 

2. Citi Field, New York  Mets

As befits Citi Field’s reputation as a fun place to attend a game, tours of the Mets’ home have a decidedly upbeat and enjoyable atmosphere, complete with a sit-down history lesson in the room where post-game press conferences are held.  

Like the Dodgers, the Mets offer multiple tour options – with varying prices. The public tour costs $25 ($20 for kids 12 and under) and will take you to the private suites, two of the season-ticket-holder restaurants, the press box and down on the field.  

On days with a home night game, the "Grand Slam Tour" is available for $70, and that’s over and above the cost of your game ticket. This also permits early entry into the park to watch batting practice. If you want to get closer to the players around the batting cage, there’s the $250 All-Star Tour. 

They also offer private tours, with the cost depends on how many are in your group. For instance, if you put together a group of ten, the cost is $62.50 per person.

3. Wrigley Field, Chicago  Cubs

When Wrigley was being designed 110 years ago, they didn’t make it easy to get from one spot under the stands to another. But that just makes the guided tours of the Friendly Confines all the more interesting.  

The charge of $30 is reasonable compared to other parks, and whether it’s a gameday or not, you’ll get to check out the famous bleachers and go down on the field. If the Cubbies aren’t home that day, you’ll also get to go in the visiting clubhouse plus one of the dugouts … and you’ll get up close and personal with the iconic ivy growing on the outfield wall. 

4. Yankee Stadium, New York  

If you go on a tour here, you won’t be visiting the exact spot where Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig played – or Bernie Williams for that matter – because this version of Yankee Stadium opened in 2009. But you will be able to visit the monuments to Babe and Lou in Monument Park in center field as part of the $35 Classic Tour. It also includes the New York Yankees museum. There’s even a version of the tour that includes lunch at the Hard Rock Café that’s built into the ballpark.  

One number you’ll see and hear often during any tour here: 27. That’s the number of World Series titles captured by the Bronx Bombers. They won’t let you forget it! 

5 (tie). Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals & Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Royals

While one is a fairly new facility (Busch Stadium, 2006) and one is kind of not-so-new (Kauffman Stadium, 1973), they have more in common than the state of Missouri. Both the Cards and Royals operate exceptional museums that are worthy of your time, and their tour guides are among the nicest and friendliest in the sport. 

The Royals have been operating tours for decades, and they have the process down pat. They offer three versions, and you can’t beat the prices: the Classic Tour costs $15; the All-Star tour is $25 (includes the team Hall of Fame); and the MVP Tour costs $35 (includes the broadcast facilities and the dugout suites). Don’t forget to visit KC’s excellent Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, just six miles west of Kauffman. 

Across the state in St. Louis, the Cards offer two tours. The 360 Tour is a quick walk around the park and the dugout, showing you the view from various vantage points. It costs $12. The Classic Tour is $22 and includes a visit to the broadcast booths and admission to the Cardinals museum across the street.  

Come to think of it, plan an adventure to Missouri so you can visit both Kauffman and Busch. The “package tours” sure are affordable, and you won’t get in trouble with a German philosopher! 

About Joe Mock: Joe has examined all 30 Major League parks, all 23 spring training parks and all 119 affiliated Minor League parks – plus plenty of indy league and college facilities. He covers sports facilities for USA TODAY publications and he’s operated  BaseballParks.com  since 1997. There he’s posted nearly 100 in-depth reviews of pro parks that have opened in the last quarter century. His ballpark expertise has landed him appearances on the Travel Channel and History Channel. You can  follow his ballpark escapades on X @baseballparks . 

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Fleet week offers behind-the-scenes look at navy warship in baltimore.

11 News gets exclusive look from the air and sea of USS Fort Lauderdale

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It's Fleet Week in Baltimore, and that means people can get a glimpse of life onboard the warship USS Fort Lauderdale.

| PDF : Fleet Week Schedule | MORE : Maryland Fleet Week and Flyover Baltimore

In an exclusive look from the air and sea, 11 News takes you behind the scenes to speak with sailors who are happy to be home.

With helmets on and life vest secured, it was onto the runway and into the air aboard a military helicopter to get a one-of-a-kind look at a real Navy ship.

"This is actually my first Fleet Week, so I'm very excited," Navy Lt. Katherine McAllister told 11 News.

The view from the helicopter over the Patapsco River was breathtaking. While flying past the remnants of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge was sobering, landing on the flight deck of the USS Fort Lauderdale was exciting.

"It's pretty cool, actually. I never thought that I'd be in this position, but, you know, sometimes, when I'm standing watch up on the bridge kind of forward, we get to see a big view of the whole ocean, and it's just very centering to realize I am doing this on my own and we're here in the middle of the ocean," McAllister told 11 News.

The 684-foot warship based out of Norfolk, Virginia, can launch or land two helicopters, sail in excess of 24 knots and respond to disasters to provide emergency medical service.

"I think, when you think of a surface warfare vessel, you think only of driving in the water, but we actually have lots of different missions, and one of them is landing aircraft," McAllister told 11 News.

Several sailors told 11 News they are looking forward to being back home, including Navy Ensign Charlie Marculewicz, of Severna Park, and McAllister, who's looking forward to visiting the National Aquarium.

"I'm definitely excited to be back in Maryland," McAllister told 11 News. "I went to college for four years, and just seeing the sites that I'm familiar with is going to be a great time."

Navigating the ship is challenging as it has many doors and decks.

"It's easy to get lost the first couple of days you get on board," Marculewicz told 11 News.

The ship carries sailors and Marines, as well as equipment, like the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) that is pulled up inside the ship.

"It's a hovercraft that rides on a cushion of air. The LCAC drives right into the back of the ship. It's a high-speed, highly maneuverable craft," Gas Turbine Senior Chief Aaron Walker told 11 News.

The LCAC is used to carry cargo and Marines from ship to shore.

"(It's the) best job in Navy," Walker said.

There's also the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles that Marines use on missions around the world.

"We've had them in Afghanistan, pretty much; Quantico, Virginia; Fort Pickett, Virginia; Bahrain; Japan," Marine Gunnery Sgt. Esteban Ramirez told 11 News.

Sailors and Marines saluted Fort McHenry as the warship made its way through the channel before taking in the Baltimore City skyline as they prepared to tour visitors around their home at sea.

"It's a fun life, definitely involves a lot of hard work and dedication to do what you do," Marculewicz told 11 News.

Fleet Week runs through Tuesday. For more information on a schedule of events, tap here .

Raw video below: Go behind the scenes aboard the USS Fort Lauderdale