MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — In this week’s Guest Pass, Matt Brickman takes us inside a LEGO lover’s dream: Brickmania in northeast Minneapolis.
“Between all the different clubs, there’s probably five million bricks in here,” said Brickmania owner, Dan Siskind. “And that’s probably a conservative guess.”
This is what can happen if you don’t give up your toys, just you’re a “grown up.”
Siskind was always a LEGO hobbyist, but 15 years ago bricks became his business.
“I found some LEGOs on clearance at a local toy store, and it was whole pallet of it, so I was like, ‘this is a great deal,'” Siskind said. “I bought a big pile of it, filled my van up, and was like ‘now what?’ So I decided I’m gonna make my own LEGO sets.”
Siskind built a blacksmith shop, that someone at LEGO saw and liked so much, they licensed his design and sold the creation with Siskind’s name on the box.
These days, Brickmania does dozens of custom builds with a big focus on military history.
Displays of all types fill their expansive northeast Minneapolis home. There’s a display depicting the Battle of Mogadishu, a model of northeast Minneapolis, complete with the old Grain Belt Brewery and a whole room devoted to trains.
Two Lego Train Clubs share space in Brickmania’s warehouse. And it’s all open to the public. A few days a week, you can get some inspiration from Brickmania’s creations and then, start building yourself.
“A lot of people have this sort of, ‘well, I played with them as a kid, I never thought to bring them out again’ and they come here, and they’re kind of like reliving their childhood,” Siskind said.
Hours for their free open houses can be found here.
You must log in to post a comment.