Brick by Brick: Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO Bricks at MOHAI

The Towers of Tomorrow exhibit at MOHAI will run through September 29, 2024. Kristin Gillespie

Can I ask an honest question? Who doesn’t love LEGOs? They provide hours of entertainment for little hands, encourage creativity, collaboration, and problem solving, teach the fundamentals of architecture and structural engineering, and they are bonding opportunities that span generations.

When MOHAI announced their Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO Bricks exhibit last spring, my interest was piqued. But with juggling work and summer camps, I have to admit that it fell off my radar. Finally, with summer coming to a close, we made solid plans to visit the exhibit, seeking a fun, engaging outing for my 6-year-old daughter and one of her BFFs—a last hurrah before school was officially in session.

Two LEGO towers greet guests in the museum’s main lobby. Kristin Gillespie

Here’s the bottom line: learn from my mistake and get to MOHAI before this exhibit closes on September 29. Your child (and inner child) will thank you for it.

The exhibit features astonishing skyscrapers from across the world, from the Empire State Building to Tokyo Sky Tree to Marina Bay Sands. Each tower is constructed in breathtaking architectural detail by Ryan McNaught, one of only twenty-one LEGO Certified Professionals in the world.

But the magic of this exhibit is the interactive construction areas featuring 200,000 loose LEGO bricks and endless possibilities. After gawking at the LEGO towers that stood at twice their height, the girls were inspired and eager to dig into the brick bins, pawing through them to collect the requisite number of pink and clear 1 x 2 bricks for the walls of their dream house.

The LEGO towers above the construction zone serve as inspiration to would-be builders. Kristin Gillespie

200,000 loose LEGO bricks provide endless opportunities. Kristin Gillespie

Seeing the two of them fully engaged, my husband and I could take our time exploring the rest of the exhibit. Along with the incredibly detailed towers, there are displays that dive into the history and impact of LEGO over generations. Did you know that one of the first LEGO toys produced by the company in 1935 wasn’t a building toy at all, but rather a wooden duck pull toy? There was also a beautiful replica of MOHAI that deserved admiration, with an opening in the roof so viewers could take in the exhibits inside.

The original wooden duck pull toy released by LEGO in 1935 next to a 2020 replica built with LEGO bricks. Kristin Gillespie

A miniature model of MOHAI built entirely with LEGO bricks by local LEGO enthusiast Shane Deegan. Kristin Gillespie

Having worked through the exhibit, my husband and I still had plenty of time to join the girls at the construction table and join in on the building fun. As a mother, can I tell you how enjoyable this was, knowing that I wouldn’t later be finding loose bricks strewn about on the living room floor? Once our masterpieces were created, the girls were invited to add them to the Towers of Tomorrow display, showcasing them among contributions from other inspired visitors. They were so proud to be part of the exhibit!

After constructing their own structures, visitors are invited to display their masterpieces and admire what others have created. Kristin Gillespie

And yet, our time at the museum had not yet come to an end. Upon entering MOHAI, each girl was handed a scavenger hunt featuring miniature LEGO figures depicting different aspects of Seattle’s history, incorporated into displays throughout the museum. It motivated the girls to explore the rest of the museum, engaging with the many interactive displays and hopefully retaining bits and pieces of Seattle history along the way.

MOHAI provides a LEGO-themed scavenger hunt to encourage exploration in other parts of the museum. Kristin Gillespie	A grunge-themed LEGO minifig, hidden in the music display at MOHAI. Kristin Gillespie
A LEGO minifig depicting a warehouse employee, hidden in the Amazon display at MOHAI. Kristin Gillespie	Finding a LEGO computer hidden in the Microsoft display provides another checkmark on the scavenger hunt sheet. Kristin Gillespie

All in all, we spent close to four hours at the museum—which astounded both my husband and I—and the girls would have happily stayed longer. Bonus: youth 14 and under receive free admission—how’s that for value? In terms of finding ways to entertain my active, inquisitive daughter, this felt like a win. You can bet that I will not let MOHAI’s next exhibit fall so easily off my radar.

The Idea Lab at MOHAI provides the opportunity for hands-on learning through play. Kristin Gillespie

The current Idea Lab activity encourages visitors to experiment placing various materials over a fan to see which has a greater propensity to “fly.” Kristin Gillespie

About the Author

Kristin Gillespie

Kristin Gillespie is Director, Marketing at Visit Seattle. An avid traveler and Seattle transplant of more than 17 years, Kristin loves to explore the Northwest and is rarely found without a camera in hand—although these days it's typically pointing toward her adventurous little girl.

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