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LEGO Discovery Center is coming to Northern Virginia

By Jeff Clabaugh

Springfield Town Center owner Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust has signed a lease with Merlin Entertainments for the D.C. region’s first LEGO attraction, this one a next generation version called LEGO Discovery Center.

The 32,000-square-foot indoor attraction, planned for the lower level of the mall directly off the main entrance, is scheduled to open in 2023, but no other details of what the Springfield location will have have been offered.

Other Legoland locations typically have a LEGO store, playgrounds and rides. Some have hotels.

“We are delighted to be opening an indoor LEGO attraction in Washington D.C. at Springfield Town Center. We look forward to revealing more special details over the coming months,” said Meike Lippert, senior divisional director Midway Europe and global new openings for Merlin Entertainments.

The closest Legoland to D.C. is in Plymouth Meeting Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. There are 14 Legoland locations in the U.S.

Rendering of LEGO Discovery Center
Here’s a rendering of the LEGO Discovery Center planned for Springfield Town Center in Fairfax County, Va. It is scheduled to open in 2023. (Courtesy Merlin Entertainments)

At Springfield Town Center, it will join other “experiential” tenants, including Dave & Buster’s, Maggie McFly’s and Yard House.

“Experiential tenants have proven to be great catalysts throughout our portfolio and we expect that, upon opening, our trade area will expand by a two-hour drive time, driving traffic and sales,” said Joseph Coradino, CEO of PREIT.

LEGO Group does not fully own LEGOLAND locations. It is a partnership with U.K.-based Merlin, one of the largest visitor attractions operators, with 138 attractions and 21 hotels in 24 countries. It also owns Madame Tussauds.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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