Family Program: Build Upper Manhattan LEGO Event

Let’s build Upper Manhattan using 100,000 LEGO Blocks! From Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church to El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, Upper Manhattan is full of sites that represent the rich cultural and architectural heritage of shared community past and present. In this collaborative and action-packed program, children and their grownups will work together to build Upper Manhattan using the image of a building in their community. 

Location: P.S. 171 Patrick Henry Preparatory School, 19 E 103rd St., New York, NY 10029

Note: Doors open at 11:30 AM.

Before You Register 

• This program is designed for children ages 8+ and their grownups.
• This is not a drop-off program. Grownups must remain with their children at all times.
• The maximum size of a single team is 4 people (one grownup must be represented on each team.)
• This program is limited to 50 teams.
• This program is located offsite at P.S. 171, a school directly next door to the Museum.

Ticket Information: Ticket prices are determined by group size. 

Advance registration is strongly encouraged to guarantee a spot. All sales are final; refunds and exchanges are not permitted. Programs and dates are subject to change. 

How It Works 

• Groups will be presented a set of cards upon arrival to choose one building to build with LEGO blocks.
• Approximately two hours will be dedicated to working together to design the building.
• At the end of the program, groups will be invited to place their LEGO creation on the architectural heritage map to represent the full range of heritage sites in Upper Manhattan. 

Please Note: Groups will not take their constructed buildings home. Throughout the program, you are welcome to take photos of the final product before returning the building to the event organizers for repurposing the materials. The Museum will provide a printed “Architectural Treasure Hunt Map” for families to keep and continue exploring the rich heritage sites in the neighborhood. 

This event will be held offsite at PS171, located next door to the Museum of the City of New York. Your ticket grants you free admission to the Museum on the day of the program. 

Co-presented by The Museum of the City of New York and Building Blocks Workshops, LLC 

About Building Blocks Workshops 

Building Blocks Workshops conducts large scale model building programs each using 100,000 LEGO building blocks to teach “The Architectural Heritage of a Community” by leading participants to build LEGO models of noteworthy buildings in their community. Programs are conducted in Schools, Museums and Community Centers.  

To develop the program, the Building Blocks Workshops team orchestrates each program with the following: 

• Surveys and identities the local architecture of historic, civic and municipal, houses of worship, schools, retail, and other buildings.
• Photographs 50 significant local buildings for each team or family to use in a model building experience.
• Assembles a history on each building.
• Organizes an “Architectural Treasure Hunt” of all the buildings as a pre or post event activity.
• Prepares a 600 square foot drawing of the entire Historic District or Downtown area.
• Every child receives a certificate of participation. 

To learn more about Building Blocks Workshops’ architectural heritage site workshops, visit their website at https://www.buildingblocksworkshops.com/architectural-heritage-workshops.