Legoland Turns 58: How a Simple Idea Near a LEGO Factory Changed Tourism in Denmark

The large numbers of visitors made it difficult for the company to operate normally. In order to deal with the problem, the owner of Lego came up with an idea - he created a park outside the factory where people would be able to watch brick constructions without entering the factory itself. Thus, the first Legoland park emerged.

600,000 visitors in its first season

Legoland park opened its doors for visitors on June 7, 1968. However, the founders did not expect the visitors to be so numerous. In the first season, there were more than 600,000 visitors.

So the small town of Billund became a major tourist destination all of a sudden. The number of visitors was so great that the company had to build a new airport in Billund. It began with building an airstrip that later developed into Billund Airport, one of Denmark's busiest airports.

From Wooden Toys to Plastic Bricks

The LEGO Group was founded in 1932 by carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen. Initially, they only made wooden toys. In 1934, the company was renamed LEGO. The name is derived from the Danish word "Leg Godt," which means "Play Well."

Then, in 1949, the company changed history by introducing the first plastic interlocking bricks. These colorful bricks quickly made LEGO the world's largest toy brand. Today, LEGO has expanded beyond toys to video games, theme parks, and films.