What parent hasn’t stepped on a LEGO brick and threatened to toss the entire box. Just me? You’ll never look at a LEGO the same way after you check out the amazing Brick by Brick Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago. This temporary exhibit features more than a dozen giant constructions by LEGO Certified Professional Adam Reed Tucker. Better yet, it also engages visitors with hands-on challenges and experiences relating to architecture, engineering and construction.

Egyptian Pyramids Lego exhibit. Photo Credit: Karen Luster
LEGO Brick by Brick Exhibit: Museum of Science & Industry Chicago
Amazing Structures
Visitors to Brick by Brick will be wowed by the structures in the exhibit. Each structure includes a placard with information on the actual building as well as information about the LEGO version.
There’s a little something for Disney fans–a LEGO version of Cinderella Castle! Building this magical icon pushed Tucker to his limit. To transform the 189 foot castle down to its LEGO equivalent, Tucker spent a 145 hours designing and an additional 250 hours building the structure. He ended up using 34,000 bricks and “almost every building technique in his arsenal.” I think his hard work paid off–what about you?
- Colosseum. Photo Credit: Karen Luster
- Burj Khalifa. Photo Credit: Karen Luster
- Cinderella Castle. Photo Credit: Karen Luster
Hands-on Challenges
Visitors of all ages will get a kick out of the hands-on activities at Brick by Brick. Visitors are able to experiment with structures and immediately test the strength of their designs. Think you can design a structure to withstand high winds? Go ahead, give it a shot. What about an earthquake?
Our favorite hands-on challenge was the bridge building challenge. Visitors are tasked with designing a bridge that can support one (or more) bean bags. There’s a catch–builders can only use a single sheet of paper to build the span.
Kids can also choose to accept the LEGO design challenge. Builders are given a selection of LEGOs and given a set amount of time. After the buzzer a LEGO expert discusses and asks kids questions about their creations. Designs remain on display for other visitors to enjoy.
- Bridge challenge. Photo Credit: Karen Luster
- LEGO Design Challenge. Photo Credit: Karen Luster
- Teleporter. Photo Credit: Karen Luster
- Showing off his design. Photo Credit: Karen Luster
Entry Fee
Brick by Brick requires a separate timed-entry ticket. This is not included in the basic museum entry fee. When you purchase your ticket, whether at MSI or online, you select a time to enter the exhibit. The costs are as follows:
$30 for Adults/$28 online (museum entry and entry to Brick by Brick)
$20 for Kids 3-11/$18 online (museum entry and entry to Brick by Brick)
Think you’ll want to visit the Coal Mine or watch the Omnimax? Check out the other ticket options available at MSI.
Discounts
Illinois residents can take advantage of one of the 52 free days offered in 2017. Proof of residency required. We visited on a free Tuesday in mid-January and we practically had the place to ourselves! It was wonderful to be able to move unhindered and spend as much time as we wanted viewing exhibits throughout the museum.
DIStracted Tip: Who doesn’t like free? If you plan to take advantage of a free day, do a bit of research first. Consider calling MSI to see if they expect a lot of school groups. Be aware of the date’s proximity to school breaks. We lucked out and picked a good day. Numerous staff members commented on how crowded it had been just the day before.
Not an Illinois resident? Tourists can purchase a Chicago CityPASS to get discounted access to most of Chicago’s museums.
Whether you’re a Chicagoland resident or visiting Chicago in the near future, I would heartily recommend carving out time to visit the Museum of Science & Industry and all of its’ astounding exhibits. If you want to see Brick by Brick you’ll need to act fast–the exhibit only runs through September 4, 2017.
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