Bold claim: LEGO® fans won’t want to miss this blockbuster, as a brick-built watershed moment arrives at last. A highly anticipated exhibition showcasing one of the world’s most iconic and successful toy brands opens this Tuesday at the Discovery Science & Technology Centre, conveniently situated on the Bendigo Station carpark’s doorstep for easy visitor access.
CURIOSITY: Building Breakthroughs in LEGO® Bricks is a collaboration between the centre and Bendigo Art Gallery. It uses the imaginative language of LEGO to illuminate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), inviting visitors to explore how these fields fit together through hands-on creation.
The project is designed and constructed by Bendigo-based LEGO artist Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught and his team. The exhibition assembles stunning models, engaging challenges, and immersive learning environments that encourage experimentation, problem-solving, and imaginative thinking.
Among the standout features are a colossal 460,000-brick replica of the NASA Space Launch System at 7.5 metres tall, Mars exploration models, seven minifigures scaled from 256 centimetres down to two centimetres, a giant periodic table of elements, and a dedicated Celebrating Women in Science display.
McNaught, who has become a nationally recognized figure through his role as a judge on LEGO Masters Australia, hopes visitors will not only enjoy themselves but also leave with new knowledge and a sense of motivation to try something themselves at home.
“I call it education by stealth,” he explains. “We sneak STEM into people’s lives through playful building—whether it’s kids constructing bridges and testing their resilience against earthquakes or simply solving problems with bricks, they’re learning without realizing it.”
As the sole LEGO® Certified Professional in the Southern Hemisphere, McNaught admits choosing a favourite piece is tough, but he highlights the Mars Rover as a standout for its extraordinary detail and scale.
At 2.9 metres in length, the rover is the exhibition’s largest model. “Images from Mars make the rover look small, but in reality it’s about the size of a four-wheel-drive—truly enormous,” he notes.
CURIOSITY: Building Breakthroughs in LEGO® Bricks runs from Tuesday 3 March to Sunday 29 November at the Discovery Science & Technology Centre, 7 Railway Place.
For more information and to book, visit the Bendigo Region website: https://www.bendigoregion.com.au/bendigo-art-gallery/exhibitions/curiosity-building-breakthroughs-in-lego-bricks and secure your spot today.
