The Legobama Inauguration

The master model designers at Legoland have created the entire 56th Quadrennial Presidential Inauguration on the steps of the Capitol in Miniland U.S.A. inside the park.

President-elect Obama, his family, Vice President-elect Joseph Biden and his wife Jill, President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and wife Lynn, along with former President George Bush Sr. and Barbara Bush have all been created out of hundreds of LEGO bricks. More than one-thousand mini-figures in all were created to show Park guests what the real inauguration in Washington D.C. might look like.

It really looks amazing. Luckily we have until May 25, 2009 to check it out. (Click the photos to see them full-size).
BUILDING ON A DREAM…BARACK OBAMA TAKES THE PRESIDENTIAL OATH AT LEGOLAND® CALIFORNIA!
President-Elect and family built entirely out of LEGO® bricks at family theme park in Carlsbad

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2009) – Presidential Inauguration ceremonies have been taking place for more than 200 years, but for the first time ever, LEGOLAND® California has created the momentous event entirely out of LEGO® bricks. Beginning January 16, 2009 until Memorial Day, May 25, Park guests can witness the 56th quadrennial Presidential Inauguration on the steps of the Capitol in Miniland U.S.A.

Master Model Designers at the family theme park in Carlsbad have been busy for weeks recreating the historic scene depicting President-elect Barack Obama taking the Presidential oath of office. President-elect Obama, his family, Vice President-elect Joseph Biden and his wife Jill, President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and wife Lynn, along with former President George Bush Sr. and Barbara Bush have all been created out of hundreds of LEGO bricks. More than one-thousand mini-figures in all were created to show Park guests what the real inauguration in Washington D.C. might look like. Mini-figures are generally four-inches-high and inhabit Miniland U.S.A., the heart of LEGOLAND California where more than 22 million LEGO bricks are used to recreate famous cities including Washington, D.C., New York, Las Vegas, New Orleans, San Francisco, Daytona, New England and the Southern California coastline.

Other mini-figures depicting ceremony participants include: Senator Dianne Feinstein, Dr. Rick Warren, Aretha Franklin, John Williams and performers Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo-Ma, Gabriela Montero, Anthony McGill, the Unites States Marine Band, the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Park guests can also find Oprah Winfrey in the crowd.

“The challenge in building many of these mini-figures was to find a distinguishable characteristic that’s recognizable by our guests,” said Master Model Designer Gary McIntire. “For Barack Obama, it’s his red tie and height and for Michelle Obama it’s the style of her dress. Obviously we couldn’t build all of the ceremony participants so we tried to pick ones the public would recognize.” McIntire was a key designer but nearly 20 Model Builders had a hand in the creative scene. Many details such as all the media, secret service, and even “porta-potties” were included to make the view as realistic as possible.

While swearing in the first African-American President at LEGOLAND California was not a simple task, it was an easy decision. “LEGOLAND is all about education and interaction so what better way to educate children on our nation’s government than to put it on a level they can relate to,” said LEGOLAND Spokesperson Julie Estrada.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a large LEGO mosaic depicting King’s famous “I have a dream” speech will be on display all weekend long. The mural is more than 9-feet long and is created out of more than 16,000 bricks.