When you collect sets from several different LEGO themes, one of the issues that will eventually arise is how to display them in a cohesive way without looking too chaotic. Ideally, you would set up a different display area (shelves or tables) for each collection, but this can take up quite a bit of space. One option some LEGO fans follow is to limit themselves to collecting sets from only a couple of themes. However, this self-imposed rule could be a quite painful to follow, especially when LEGO releases so many great sets across different themes. Most LEGO fans will eventually break their own rule and buy a set outside of the themes they collect, which can lead to the cluttered collection syndrome they have been trying to avoid…
Another option is to mix up themes that could realistically go together. For example, a LEGO City display could easily accommodate pretty much anything a city would have; buildings, airport, ship port, trains, space station, outdoor locations, fairground, racetrack, etc. As long as the models are the same scale (usually minifig scale), and somehow fit in with the style, color-palette, and story of the city, they could be linked together in a believable way. So, sets from themes like LEGO City, LEGO Creator, LEGO Super Heroes, LEGO Friends, LEGO Jurassic World, LEGO Speed Champions, etc. could make a nice display together.
LEGO Space and LEGO Castle are two other themes that are broad enough to accommodate many different collections. All of the LEGO Space sets released through the years can make a fantastic display together, and you could even mix sets from licensed themes like LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Super Heroes. And, a LEGO Castle display can include everything from realistic medieval castles to sets from fantasy themes like LEGO Lord of the Rings, LEGO Harry Potter, and LEGO Elves.
Even though you can mix themes into one coherent display, and although the setup won’t require as much space as displaying each collection separately, you will still need quite a bit of room to allow realistic transition from one location to another. Many LEGO fans use one, two, or more large tables for this purpose. There are many examples of such displays on YouTube and various LEGO forums.
If you have even less space, and you don’t have room to build a display with realistic transition between various neighborhoods and locations, you can create a more compact setup by placing everything in a theme park setting. A theme park is basically a compact space where everything goes. You can have a pirate ship next to a pagoda, a palace next to a space station, and it all makes sense. There is no need to have transition between the different locations, just a bit of footpath for minifigs to go from one location to another. There is really no limit to what you can place in such a setting; sets from LEGO City, LEGO Space, LEGO Pirates, LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Super Heroes, LEGO fantasy themes, they can all peacefully exists next to each other in a believable way.
For example, take a look at the display featured here. It was set up by LEGO fan David Lefort, (a.k.a. BasilBricks). It includes both official LEGO sets, and custom models grouped together in six neighborhoods – much like the layout of Disneyland and other theme parks. Even though the Entrance Plaza, Main Street, Fantasy Land, The Orient, Shipwreck Cove, and Star Wars Galaxy include builds from completely different themes, they can be placed in close proximity, tied together by footpaths, train tracks, and waterways in a relatively compact space with room left for expansion.
Fantasy Land features the #71040 LEGO Disney Castle, the #10257 LEGO Creator Carousel, as well as a custom-built Rapunzel’s tower, the house from the movie Up, and many other details. To the left of Fantasy Land is The Orient with the beautiful #70751 LEGO Ninjago Temple of Airjitzu and #70618 LEGO Ninjago Movie Destiny’s Bounty, and a large number of lovely cherry blossom trees. Also, notice the #70612 LEGO Ninjago Movie Green Ninja Mech Dragon on top of the #10232 LEGO Creator Palace Cinema. On the right of Fantasy Land is Shipwreck Cove with the #75903 LEGO Scooby-Doo Haunted Lighthouse, the #71042 LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Silent Mary, and a modified #9474 LEGO Lord of the Rings The Battle of Helm’s Deep. Close to the entrance is the #10247 LEGO Creator Ferris Wheel, and a modified version of the #10244 LEGO Creator Fairground Mixer is included in Star Wars Galaxy. David also plans to ad the recently released #10261 LEGO Creator Roller Coaster. Although not visible from this angle, some of the other LEGO Modular Buildings are also included, as well as many other sets either in their original form, or modified to fit the display. You can find more pictures from different angles at David’s Instagram gallery.
While this display is pretty large, it is clear that if David would have wanted to keep all the different themes separate, they would take up significantly more space. Even if you don’t have this many sets, or this much space, the idea of using a theme park setting to display together sets from a wide variety of themes can be very useful for any size collection.
What do you think? Do you collect LEGO sets from different themes? How do you display them? Do you have any issues with your displays looking too cluttered? And how do you like the idea of turning different themes into a theme park? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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