Wheaton Lego show a treat for kids - both young and not-so-young

As he carries his 4-year-old son Max and watches his 12-year-old son Peter peer over the edge of a Lego train yard, Doug Reinhart stands in awe at the room completely full of Lego models. His third son, Jonah, 13, has trekked off to another part of the room to take in the scenes.

The family has worked with Legos at their Wheaton home. But never did their building sessions result in anything as ambitious as the large train models and elaborate village scenes they discovered on Sunday.

Children and adults alike flocked to the doors of Cantigny Park's visitors center on Sunday, Dec. 6, to peek at creations of the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club. One of the center's most popular shows of the year, the eighth annual Holiday Lego Train Show drew more than 3,000 people on Saturday and was expected to draw even more Sunday.

"It's amazing they can decide what they want to build and then come up with the right pieces to build it," said Doug, who attended the show for the second time. "My kids love to build with Legos and wanted to see some designs and creations the adults come up with."

The two rooms of the visitors center were filled to capacity with a line leading outside.

Inside, Lego-ized versions of scenes from Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park sprawled across tables. A Lego replica of the Willis Tower, better known as the Sears Tower in Chicago, dominated the main room's display.

In an adjoining room, trains made completely of Lego blocks passed by village replicas and scenes from a movie theater.

"They are so original," said Doug's son, Peter, of the villages. "They are close to the real thing. You can relate to them. They're very detailed."

And the detail is part of the fun of the hobby, said train club member Stephen Gabriel of Milwaukee, who tended to a 15-foot stretch of blocks that he and other club members constructed Friday for the show.

"It's creativity and being able to build something," he said. "(The fun) is in watching the faces of the people on the other side."

Gabriel has been building things out of Legos for roughly 28 years, he said.

The show has nearly outgrown the space its occupied since its inception.

Visitors Center Manager Angelica Lopez said she stood and watched for nearly six hours and the line never shortened on Saturday, when about 3,000 people went through the doors.

On Sunday, she said, she expected an even larger number.

"Just phenomenal attendance," she said. "It's become a tradition for local families."

Lopez said administrators have looked into moving the show from the visitors center in the future, although she did not say where that might be.

Gabriel said he would welcome a move. But for now, he said, he likes that he had created something that kids - both young and not-so-young - enjoy.

"We have a good time; it's an excellent thing to do," he said. "And some of the kids are actually children."