Bay Area landmarks to be Lego re-creations
But did the public pick the right three places to represent the region?
The Winchester Mystery House, along with the Golden Gate Bridge and Levi’s Stadium, will be re- created in brick form for the new Legoland Discovery Center opening at the Great Mall in Milpitas next spring. The sprawling and spooky San Jose landmark got the most votes in a Facebook poll conducted by the planned play space.
I’m not sure if people voted with sentiment for Sarah Winchester’s mansion or out of a little sadistic thrill of making Legoland’s master builders construct a replica of the 161-room Victorian. No doubt eagle-eyed fans will be checking it for accuracy when the venue opens next year, and I really hope the builders have some fun with it, too.
When I floated the possibility in a column earlier this month, one reader noted that it should be under continuous construction like the original. I still am hoping new configurations and rooms mysteriously show up on their own.
SAP Center, Plaza de César Chávez and the city halls of both San Jose and Milpitas didn’t make the cut. People had a ton of suggestions for write-in votes, too, including the Tech Interactive, Alum Rock Park, San Jose State’s Tower Hall and Avaya Stadium, but none garnered enough support to break into the top three.
Legoland Discovery Center Bay Area, which is aimed at ages 3-10, will include a train ride, a 4D cinema, an earthquake table, a Lego brick pool and a Miniland area, where the three landmarks will be on display.
FUNDING THE FUTURE PAST » The Japanese American Museum in San Jose has been a wonderful resource for peering into the past, especially surrounding the unjust internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. But thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Knight Foundation, the museum will have the opportunity to use cutting- edge technology for its history lessons. The museum plans to create an augmented reality experience — that’s the same idea behind the Tech’s Body Worlds exhibit — to teach about the multiethnic history and culture of the city’s historic Japantown district.
TALKING TURKEY » How’s this for a paradox? Thanksgiving this year is the latest it can be on the calendar, yet it still feels like it’s sneaking up on us. Anyway, it’s next week, and that means that organizations like Sacred Heart Community Service are gearing up to feed thousands of people who otherwise would go without during the holiday.
Sacred Heart plans to begin distributing some 4,400 turkeys starting
Monday (along with an additional 3,500 in December). However, earlier this week, there were only 830 turkeys in Sacred Heart’s freezers. You can help out by donating a turkey — or more than one — at the donation station at 1381 S. First St. You can check the hours at its website, sacredheartcs.org.
PALO ALTO GETS LIT » The late Thanksgiving is throwing off calendars, too, as the ninth annual Palo Alto tree-lighting ceremony at Lytton Plaza will take place Friday, nearly a week before the holiday that normally kicks off the holiday season. The free event, which will start at 5:30 p.m., will have a sleighful of entertainment, including choirs and Christmas carolers, as well as hot cocoa and cookies.
You can do more than just show up, too, as the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation is asking visitors to bring new, white crew socks, which will be distributed to the needy during the winter season.
Hey, it’s never too late to get on Santa Claus’ good side.