The Airport LEGO® Crawl

I wish I could say I am currently traipsing around the United States solely in search of LEGO® experiences… but I’m actually on a business trip. That is why True North Bricks has been quiet lately. With that said, I carefully planned out a few LEGO® experiences to enjoy along the way. We’ve all heard of the LEGO® vending machines popping up in terminals around the world. Luckily, I had the option to connect through not one, but TWO airports housing the glorious devices. To make the deal even sweeter, the second airport also had an official LEGO® Store. None of the aforementioned experiences were in the terminals I was flying through though. Consequently, I made a mad dash (involving both busses and trains) through both airports between my flights to pull this off. I have now dubbed it my airport LEGO® crawl. Consider me drunk on LEGO® happiness.

The LEGO vending machine I saw in Philadelphia on my Airport LEGO crawl. — The elusive LEGO® vending machine, seen here in Philadelphia on my Airport LEGO® crawl.

The elusive LEGO® vending machine, seen here in Philadelphia on my Airport LEGO® crawl.

The PHL LEGO® vending machine wasn’t working properly…

My first stop was Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). While the airport has two LEGO® vending machines, I only had time to find one. Of course, I aimed for the one that wasn’t working. I visited Terminal A where the LEGO® machine sits beside gate A16. On the day I was there, the machine was stocked. It even carried a couple of sets that mildly interested me. However, when I used the touch screen to begin selection, a large number of sets on the selection screen did not match the sets in the display. Unfortunately, that included both sets I might have bought. With no time to make my way to Terminal D for the other LEGO® vending machine, I boarded my plane and left. On the plus side, PHL has a giant Liberty Bell made entirely from LEGO® bricks almost right next to the LEGO® vending machine in Terminal A.

My Airport LEGO® crawl took me to Dallas Fort Worth International airport where they had an official LEGO® Store! — The LEGO® Store at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

The next stop on my airport LEGO® crawl took me to Dallas Fort Worth International airport. I landed in one terminal, and was leaving from another… and I found out there was an official LEGO® store that wasn’t in either of those. The LEGO® Store sits in Terminal D, where all the international flights leave from. Every terminal is connected via a train system… so I added an extra stop on my train ride. The train only stops within the secure areas, so you never have to cross security as you travel between terminals, making the experience quite easy.

The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport seen on my airport LEGO crawl — Inside the DFW airport LEGO® Store.

DFW has no BAM or PAB, but they stamp and issue LEGO® passports!

As always, the associate working in the LEGO® Store at DFW was super friendly. He was also really excited and enthusiastic about giving me a LEGO® passport stamp and chatting about the store. Apparently this location is quite new, it only opened in December 2023. It shows in the decor as well. The store looks very similar to the new Yorkdale layout I wrote about a few months ago. I like the look… but where Yorkdale had a greatly reduced Pick-and-Build wall, the DFW had none at all. Of course, I wouldn’t worry about no PAB being a common thing. It makes sense to not bring unsealed boxes full of loose bricks onto airplanes. I am guessing it is just an airport thing. DFW also had no Build-a-Mini. Everything else you’d expect from the LEGO® Store was present though.

Interior of the DFW LEGO Store seen on my airport LEGO crawl — Inside the DFW LEGO® Store on my Airport LEGO® Crawl.

Inside the DFW LEGO® Store on my Airport LEGO® Crawl.

Trying the LEGO® vending machine was a must.

I didn’t actually buy anything at the DFW LEGO® Store though. I might have had I not been so hellbent on trying a LEGO® vending machine. So, I got my LEGO® passport stamped, and I boarded the train again for Terminal A. In this case, the LEGO® vending machine sits across from gate A9. Luckily, this one was also in perfect working order. Of course, the exchange rate for Canadians traveling in the States still sucks… so the vast majority of sets in the vending machine cost more than they would at home. However, I did a few calculations and found one set that was actually cheaper than in Canada. It’s not a set I particularly wanted… but it was only $10 and it knocked an item off my LEGO® bucket list. So, now I own another LEGO® police car.

Brick-built Minifigure in the DFW LEGO® Store.

Heavily satisfied with my new passport stamp and my experience with the LEGO® vending machine, I boarded my flight from Dallas to my final destination in Oregon… Yes, I know, I took a ridiculously long, circuitous route. But, I am an AFOL, and AFOLs know what AFOLs do in the pursuit of LEGO®. Plus, the roundabout route made the trip cheaper, which made my employer happy. Win-win. If you’re curious to see how the LEGO® vending machine works, or some video of the DFW LEGO® Store, I posted reels on all my usual social media channels. I’ve now experienced LEGO® at airports in Philadelphia, Dallas, and Laguardia in New York. What airport LEGO® experiences have you had? Let me know in the comments or on social media.

Until next time,

-Tom

My current collection of LEGO® passport stamps.

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