Mount Prospect Public Library unveils its colossal, magical Lego City March 9
How do you fit a city inside a library? With Legos that is.
Be prepared to be wowed when you open the door of the Mount Prospect Public Library’s upstairs meeting room this March 9-10 and find an enormous colorful Lego City complete with skyscrapers, traffic, a working train, surprise inhabitants (perhaps visitors from Star Wars and Harry Potter) and possibly turkeys hanging from a helicopter.
The free “Fun with the Friends” event featuring a colossal display made by the popular Northern Illinois Lego Train Club (NILTC) runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 9 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 10. The event in meeting room A of the library at 10 S. Emerson Street is open to all ages. No registration is needed for this Friends of the Mount Prospect Public Library sponsored event.
NILTC’s Lego Cities have been wowing audiences for over 18 years. More than 48,000 people viewed the group’s 2003 Illinois Railway Museum’s “Day Out with Thomas” in Union, which featured an enormous 30- by 30-foot display of a mini world. NILTC, the group says, is a Lego enthusiast group with 25 active members that “enjoy building, designing, and displaying Lego creations for the public.”
Usually when beginning a huge project like Lego City one would have blueprints. Not NILTC members. They use their imaginations as most of what will be displayed has been designed, or created by a club member, NILTC notes. There are no instructions, no step-by-step processes, just a lot of imagination and hard work, said the group. Most members work either from reference material, a picture, or just use their imagination.
“This will be a new, huge city creation built inside the library with a surprise around every corner,” Pat Klawitter, president of the Friends of the Mount Prospect Public Library, said. “We urge everyone to stop by and follow the train around the room as it travels through different environments, each of which is painstakingly created by the Lego masters. We are so excited to provide this amazing one-of-a-kind experience to the community.”
Not only can visitors tour the magical Lego City but can ask members of the NILTC questions on how it was built, which pieces to use and how.
Prior to the March 9-10 Lego City event unveiling, the library is offering two one-hour drop-in Lego workshops for kids, ages 5 and older, at 1:30-2:30 p.m. or 4:15-5:15 p.m. on Friday, March 8. Using the library’s Legos children can work on their own creations. No registration is needed, just imagination.
To support programs for the community like Lego City, the volunteer Friends group (a 501(c) (3) charitable organization) holds four library book sales a year plus a holiday-gift sale in November. The next library book sale is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 20 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 21.
All proceeds from the Friends’ book sales support library programs, patron services, and staff initiatives. Friends’ volunteers donate their time throughout the year to organize the quarterly book sales and plan community events. Go to friendsofmppl.mailerpage.com for information on events, how to join, donate books and participate.