It’s an exciting day for the Hudson Valley and New York as the Legoland New York Resort held its grand opening in Goshen on Friday - the first theme park to open in the northeast in over 40 years.
The Legoland New York crew was all smiles for the grand opening of the park — a development that was seven years in the making.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo attended Friday morning and pulled the lever to officially open all seven of the parks Lego-themed lands to guests.
He called the park an economic engine for the region.
“What Legoland is going to be is a magnet, an attraction for a magnificent part of the state that has been unrealized to date,” Cuomo said.
Falling rain on Friday morning didn’t stop families from lining up to be among the first to check out the park’s 150 acres of rides and attractions.
“I’ve watched this theme park take shape from the ground up, and I have to tell you, it’s such a thrill to see everybody streaming in today. Everybody’s having a great time,” said Matt Besterman, Legoland public relations manager.
People came from all over the state. The Estrich family arrived from Rochester.
“We’re going to be here to have fun and hopefully not get soaked,” Ryan Estrich said.
For mom, Stacey Estrich, Legoland was a nice alternative to traveling to amusement parks located outside of the state.
“It’s brand new, we can’t wait. We thought we’d be going to Florida to do this, but we can do it right here in New York state," she said.
And there’s something exciting for everyone.
There's the 22 million-brick mini-land, where you can check out a Lego-built model of Goshen, and even New York City, complete with Lego breakdancers and a Lego subway.
Or, you can take a ride on the Lego factory adventure ride, where you can transform yourself into a mini-Lego figure.
And for little kids, there’s rides like the duplo express train, perfect for Hudson and Madison from New Jersey.
“We did the pirate ship. We did all the ones over here — the teacups and the carousel,” said Alyson Vogel of Westfield, N.J.
For her, having a new theme park in the area is priceless.
“It’s perfect that it’s so close, and all the rides are the right age for them, so it’s great,” Vogel said.
The park, which cost $400 million to build, is estimated to have created 1,000 jobs in the region— and some much needed fun for all.
Still to come in early August: the Legoland Hotel.