
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.”
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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.
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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.
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