Best Amusement Parks – Legoland in Carlsbad, California

(I just want to say that as part of the research for this article I had to scour the internet for the appropriate plural nomenclature of “Lego”. Obviously we say “Legos”, but is that correct to write? Or should it be “LEGOs” or even “Lego Blocks”. The official word skews towards the latter, but for someone who’s been inadvertently eating the things since I was two, it just didn’t sound right. So I’ve made my choice. See, occasionally we do real work around here :) )

#10 on our list of the Best Amusement Parks in America, Legoland California has a natural appeal to me (and all nerds like me) on the basis of its theme alone: LEGOs! Indeed, the building blocks of any successful childhood have their own theme park in Carlsbad, California about 30 miles north of sunny San Diego.

Legoland California has immense family appeal. The theme is attractive to children (and adults like me who still act like children), and the thrill rides skew a hair younger than most amusement parks, so members of the younger set who are hungry for big boy and girl fun have more opportunity to get it. In fact, visitors are even given a small amount of control over the speed and intensity of some of the rides.

Rides are fun, but for me it’s always been all about the grounds, and there’s no finer example than Miniland USA, the park’s flagship attraction. A LEGO-enthusiast’s dream come true, Miniland is an awe-striking collection of LEGO sculptures with more than 20 million bricks in active use. The featured sculptures are 1/20^th scale landmarks from around the country, accurate to the tiniest detail.

Models include dozens of landmarks throughout D.C., New York City, New Orleans, San Francisco, Southern California, Florida and, appropriately animated, Las Vegas (one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen!)

Finish exploring Miniland and you’ve still got a full park’s worth of coasters, flat rides and interactive adventures to explore.

Legoland California is open daily throughout the summer. Learn more about the park and view ticket prices and packages here.

Unless you’re summer family vacation is only a day long (which is way lame!), we recommend forgoing Carlsbad in lieu of the limitless opportunities of San Diego. From the San Diego Zoo to SeaWorld to the beach, there’s just a lot more to do in San Diego. For hotels in San Diego, we again recommend the Holiday Inn San Diego on the Bay. A fabulous family property, the hotel features kid-friendly amenities as well as zoo and SeaWorld packages.

Learn more about family attractions in San Diego, or offer up some fun summer family vacation ideas of your own in the comments below. Check our Summer Family Travel Guide for more of our suggestions.

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