The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi announced the opening of LEGO SHOWS Natural Brickstory, a world-first exhibition that invites visitors to discover 13.8 billion years of natural history through creativity, play and hands-on LEGO building. The limited-time display, which launched on August 28 2026, combines the museum’s scientific collections with interactive zones to foster learning and curiosity among all age groups. Museum officials described the format as transforming abstract scientific concepts into tangible creative experiences that encourage experimentation and collaboration. The approach builds on the institution’s mission to make complex ideas accessible.
The exhibition is structured around three main themed areas focusing on Earth’s history, wildlife and the cosmos, according to the museum. Visitors engage in a series of collaborative LEGO builds, educational trails and workshops integrated throughout these zones. Large-scale models, including a LEGO version of the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi building, provide visual anchors that connect play to the institution’s broader narrative on natural sciences. This setup allows guests to move seamlessly between construction activities and the museum’s core galleries.
A standout element is the attempt to set a Guinness World Records title through a community LEGO brick build inspired by the UAE’s natural history, the museum reported. Participants add bricks to a collective creation based on Stegotetrabelodon emiratus, an extinct four-tusked elephant from Abu Dhabi’s Late Miocene era whose scientific name references the Emirates. This interactive project aims to unite the community in celebrating local paleontological discoveries while contributing to a record-breaking endeavour that grows over the exhibition’s run.
The initiative complements the museum’s permanent exhibits, which feature significant specimens such as Stan, one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons known to science, and a piece of the Murchison meteorite that dates back billions of years, a museum assessment found. By juxtaposing these authentic artifacts with LEGO recreations, the exhibition seeks to draw visitors from initial play toward more in-depth scientific appreciation. The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, located in the Saadiyat Cultural District, has positioned the show as a way to make its collections more approachable for families and young learners.
Dr Peter C. Kjærgaard, director of the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, said, “Play is fundamental to learning and discovery. It sparks curiosity, fuels imagination, and nurtures creativity – the very qualities that drive scientific exploration.” In a statement, the museum added that the exhibition runs daily from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and until 8:30 p.m. on weekends. Tickets begin at 70 dirhams for adults, with free entry for children under 18, and the display continues through November 8 2026.
