Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi has launched LEGO SHOWS Natural Brickstory, a limited-time exhibition billed as a world first that takes visitors through 13.8 billion years of natural history using LEGO brick building as the entry point.
The exhibition is structured around themed zones covering Earth’s history, wildlife and the cosmos, with collaborative builds embedded throughout rather than treated as a separate activity. The idea is to fold the building into the storytelling, so visitors encounter scientific concepts through construction rather than conventional display.
A Guinness World Records attempt forms part of the programme. The community-build element centres on Stegotetrabelodon emiratus, the four-tusked elephant native to Abu Dhabi’s Late Miocene period whose name references the Emirates. Visitors contribute bricks to a collective structure inspired by the animal, with the record attempt bringing the build together as a community event.
“Play is fundamental to learning and discovery. It sparks curiosity, fuels imagination, and nurtures creativity – the very qualities that drive scientific exploration. Through our collaboration with LEGO SHOWS Natural Brickstory, we are putting play, creativity, and imagination at the heart of the visitor experience. We are building a strong foundation for the next generation of scientists and stewards of our natural world,” Pro. Peter C. Kjærgaard, Director of Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi said in a statement.
“The most impactful partnerships are those that inspire people to see familiar places through a new lens. Through LEGO SHOWS, we are inviting everyone, from first-time visitors to dedicated LEGO enthusiasts, to experience the museum in an entirely new way. Natural Brickstory seamlessly blends universal appeal brick building creativity, and with the museum’s rich scientific narratives, creating an immersive journey that extends throughout our galleries and sparks curiosity, imagination, and discovery for visitors of all ages,” Alia AlHammadi, Acting Partnership and Commercial Department Director at Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi added.
The exhibition also includes trails, workshops and access to the museum’s wider galleries, specimens and dining offer. Natural Brickstory runs daily from 10am to 6:30pm on weekdays, with extended hours until 8:30pm on weekends.
