Merlin Entertainments opens hundredth Midway attraction

LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Michigan is Merlin's fourteenth LEGOLAND Discovery Center

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Mar 24, 2016, 01:00 ET

LONDON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Merlin Entertainments, one of the world's leading visitor attraction operators, today opened its hundredth Midway attraction in Michigan, USA.

"Midway" attractions are high quality, branded, indoor attractions, where guests typically spend 1-2 hours, and are located in city centers or resorts. There are now 100 Midway attractions across 21 countries, with five core chainable brands: SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, The Eye observation attractions, The Dungeons and LEGOLAND Discovery Centers. The Midway Attractions Operating Group welcomed over 39 million guests in 2015, and represented 44% of Merlin's revenue.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan is a 32,000 square-foot indoor attraction featuring fun and exciting LEGO® themed rides, including Kingdom Quest and Merlin's Apprentice, a 4D Cinema that brings favorite LEGO characters to life, numerous themed build and play areas, and the highly anticipated MINILAND exhibit that displays beloved local Detroit landmarks made from LEGO bricks. One of these landmarks – the iconic "RenCen" building - took 296 hours to build and is comprised of 50,172 LEGO bricks.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan is the 8th LEGOLAND Discovery Center in North America, the 14th globally and the 100th Midway attraction for Merlin Entertainments. The first LEGOLAND Discovery Center was opened in Berlin, Germany in 2007.

John Jakobsen, Chief New Openings Officer, said:

"We are thrilled to be announcing the opening of LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Michigan, marking Merlin's 100th Midway attraction.

Merlin has set out ambitious growth plans, including targeting opening 40 new Midway attractions over the next five years, and the LEGOLAND Discovery Center brand will play an integral role in that."

About Merlin Entertainments plc

Merlin Entertainments plc is a global leader in location based, family entertainment. Europe's Number 1 and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 100 attractions, 12 hotels and four holiday villages in 23 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable experiences to its more than 60 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its c.27,000 employees.

Merlin has 25 attractions and two hotels in North America - including two stunning LEGOLAND Resorts – LEGOLAND Florida with its theme park, water park and hotel; and LEGOLAND California theme park with a water park, the SEA LIFE aquarium and themed hotel; Orlando Eye; Madame Tussauds celebrity wax attractions in New York; Washington DC; Las Vegas; Hollywood; Orlando and San Francisco; LEGOLAND Discovery Centers in Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Kansas City Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Westchester, New York; Toronto, Canada; a Dungeon in San Francisco; and SEA LIFE aquariums in Phoenix, Arizona; Kansas City, Missouri; Michigan; Dallas/Fort Worth; the Mall of America in Minneapolis; Orlando, Florida and Charlotte – Concord, N Carolina - underlining the company's position as the world's biggest global aquarium operator.