Legoland California bringing San Diego to Miniland U.S.A

CARLSBAD, Calif. — San Diegans visiting Legoland this week will be in for a special treat.

A new model of San Diego for Legoland California’s “Miniland U.S.A.” is set to be unveiled this Thursday, bringing some of the city’s most iconic buildings and events to the amusement park in brick form.

“San Diego is one of America’s most beautiful destinations filled with incredible architecture, landscapes and history – making it an obvious choice when selecting the next city to add to Miniland U.S.A,” President of LEGOLAND California Resort Kurt Stocks said in a statement to FOX5SanDiego.com.

Made out of over five million Lego bricks, San Diego at Legoland’s Miniland will feature landmarks like the Convention Center, the County Fair, the Gaslamp Quarter and downtown skyline.

The new city will also incorporate elements of some of San Diego’s other notable locales, including the Rady Shell, the Hotel Del Coronado, Balboa Park and the region’s iconic coastline.

Nearly 4,000 Lego “Minilanders” will also be residing in the new city, from Comic Con attendees at the Convention Center to musicians playing on the sides of the Gaslamp streets.

Legoland California asked guests to vote on the San Diego landmarks that would be included in the new Miniland city through social media polls, a spokesperson for the park said.

From there, master model builders took to designing — a process that generally begins with an in-person visit to the city being developed to get a feel for how it lives and breathes.

But, as many of the builders are San Diego residents themselves, it was a chance to take their home and put their own whimsical, Lego twist on it.

Teams of builders all over the world put countless hours towards constructing each of the elements that will represent San Diego in “Miniland U.S.A.,” from developing the designs into models to the actual process of putting each brick together.

The new city will take a prominent spot — right next to New York City — in “Miniland U.S.A.,” according to park officials.

For locals and visitors alike, the new Lego likeness of America’s Finest City will be a way for people to discover the city in a way they’ve never seen before.

“Each build will provide guests with a deeper connection and understanding of our home city,” Stocks said. “(It) will encourage our local and out of town visitors to embrace all that San Diego has to offer.”

San Diego will be the third city in California to be featured in “Miniland U.S.A.,” joining San Francisco and Los Angeles. Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and New York round out the cities currently featured in the section of the amusement park.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.