LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Philadelphia Breaks Ground at Plymouth Meeting Mall

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

LEGOLAND® Discovery Center, the ultimate indoor LEGO® playground, started construction at its 33,000-square-foot Philadelphia location inside Plymouth Meeting Mall. At a groundbreaking ceremony held today, first-grade students from nearby Plymouth Elementary School were on hand to dig their shovels into the pile of over 50,000 LEGO bricks spilled by a Turner Construction dump truck to officially mark the start of construction. Representatives from LEGOLAND Discovery Center announced First to Play Annual Passes are on sale now and offer exclusive access to Annual Pass weekend before the Discovery Center opens to the public, anticipated in spring 2017. Representatives from LEGOLAND Discovery Center were joined by PREIT, the Eastern Montgomery Chamber of Commerce, Visit Philadelphia, the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and Plymouth Township Council for the ceremony.

"With the start of construction, families from across the Greater Philadelphia region are one step closer to experiencing the ultimate indoor LEGO playground," said Michael Taylor, General Manager of LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia. "The Discovery Center captures the innate magic of LEGO and brings children's imaginations to life through playful learning. We anticipate LEGOLAND Discovery Center to be among Philadelphia's most popular attractions, and we are committed to making the experience hassle-free, including convenient timed ticketing and annual passes, which are available starting today."

A limited number of First to Play Annual Passes are available for purchase at a discounted rate of $54 (regularly priced $59) through LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia's official website. First to Play Annual Pass holders will have exclusive access to Annual Pass weekend before the Discovery Center opens to the public. Pass holders will receive unlimited access for 12 months and benefits including café, LEGO Shop and birthday party discounts.

Regular one-day tickets will be available for purchase in the near future. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia will include 10 LEGO Play Zones, guaranteeing a new and exciting experience for each guest. The Discovery Center will feature a first-of-its-kind LEGO-themed ride; a 4D cinema; MINILAND, a miniature replica of landmarks in Philadelphia; and thousands of LEGO bricks to build with in themed Play Zones.

"Exciting concepts like LEGOLAND Discovery Center are pushing the boundaries that have historically defined the mall experience," said Joe Coradino, CEO of PREIT, the owner and operator of Plymouth Meeting Mall. "As the social fabric of their communities, our malls are uniquely positioned to offer quality family attractions that augment the shopping experience and offer another reason to visit and enjoy the unique mix of shopping, dining and destination entertainment options. We look forward to welcoming hundreds of thousands of LEGOLAND Discovery Center visitors each year."

At today's groundbreaking ceremony, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia also announced the opening of the MINILAND Vote, a competition held via the Discovery Center's Facebook page that allows members of the public to nominate and vote for their favorite Philadelphia landmarks they would like to see built and featured in Philadelphia's MINILAND. Voting begins today, Oct. 25, and winning landmarks will be announced on Nov. 30.

Over the next six months, LEGOLAND Discovery Center will be building its team which will include one Master Model Builder and a team of helpers coined the "Creative Crew". Follow LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates. For more information about LEGOLAND Discovery Center and to purchase First to Play Annual Passes, visit www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/philadelphia/holding.

ABOUT MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based family entertainment. Europe's No. 1 and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 111 attractions and 12 hotels/four holiday villages in 23 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 63 million visitors worldwide through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 26,000 employees (peak season).

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; LEGOLAND California theme park with its water park, SEA LIFE Aquarium and themed hotel; the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye; Madame Tussauds celebrity wax attractions in New York, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Hollywood, Orlando and San Francisco; LEGOLAND Discovery Centers in Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Kansas City, Mo., Atlanta, Ga., Boston, Westchester, N.Y., and Toronto, Canada; The San Francisco Dungeon; and SEA LIFE Aquariums in Phoenix, Ariz., Kansas City, Mo., Michigan and Dallas/Fort Worth; and the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Orlando, Fla., and Charlotte-Concord, N.C. – underlining the company's position as the world's biggest global aquarium operator. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.

ABOUT PREIT

PREIT PEI is a publicly traded real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership and management of differentiated shopping malls. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., the company owns and operates over 25 million square feet of retail space in the eastern half of the United States with concentration in the Mid-Atlantic region's top MSAs. Since 2012, the company has driven a transformation guided by an emphasis on balance sheet strength, high-quality merchandising and disciplined capital expenditures. Additional information is available at www.preit.com, and on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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