“Lego® Group Releases Vast Haunted House Set”

Lego System A/S (doing business as The LEGO® Group) announced on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 that it would release the LEGO® Haunted House™ (Set #10273) in the Expert subtheme of the Creator theme’s new Fairground Collection for adults. The LEGO® Expert Creator Fairground Collection Haunted House is an elaborate 3,231-piece set that is meant for adults and teenagers eighteen-years-of-age-and-over. It measures over 25.5” (68cm) high, 9” (25cm) wide, and 9” (25cm) deep. The joke is that the six-story LEGO® Haunted House™ is a fairground (theme park) attraction modeled on the family home of Baron von Barron (also known as Lord Sam Sinister and by other names), the villain from the LEGO® Adventurers theme (1998-2003) and Orient Expedition theme (2003-2005), which were set in the early 20^th Century. [The villain’s name varied between countries and different playsets and games. For this set, two of his names were combined: Baron von Barron + Sam Sinister = Samuel von Barron.] The centerpiece of the attraction is the free-fall ride inside the tower. The list price is $249.99 in the U.S.A., £209.99 in the U.K., and €229.99 in the European Union. It became available to V.I.P. members on Wednesday, May 20, A.D. 2020 and to the public via the online LEGO® Shop and at LEGO® Stores on Monday, June 1, A.D. 2020. It already sold out at the online LEGO® Shop by the time I checked at 1:30 a.m. (Central Daylight Saving Time) on Tuesday, June 2, A.D. 2020 as I began to write this article.

Figure 1 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is the front of the snazzy box for the 3,231-piece set LEGO® Expert Creator Fairground Collection Haunted House (Item #10273), which is for adults and teens eighteen-and-over.

Figure 2 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is the front of the snazzy box for the set LEGO® Expert Creator Fairground Collection Haunted House (Item #10273), which The LEGO® Group made available to V.I.P. members on Wednesday, May 20, A.D. 2020 and to the public via the online LEGO® Shop and at LEGO® Stores on Monday, June 1, A.D. 2020 but is already sold out.

Figure 3 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is what the LEGO® Haunted House™ looks like when closed. We see one of the twins on the front porch and one of the ghosts out front within the picket fence. A sign that reads” Manor von Barron” is mounted on the gable above the third-floor stained-glass window. Considering this is essentially a dollhouse made of LEGO® bricks, the designers did a good job of making it look spooky.

Figure 4 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is what the LEGO® Haunted House™ looks like when opened.The obelisk beside the elevator shaft, the figure of a pharaoh’s head wearing a Nemes headdress that is mounted on the elevator shaft,
and the two Anubis heads that flank the second-floor window overlooking the pipe organ are allusions to the Egypt subtheme of the LEGO® Adventurers theme. The mask on the elevator shaft is called “The Face of Sphinx.” Notice the wheelchair ramp at the doors on the right for the benefit of the man being pushed in a wheelchair by his wife. Eerie touches on that side of the building include a skeleton hanging upside down on the third floor near an occult altar.

Figure 5 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is a closeup of the interior with a view of two Minifigures™ standing in the elevator that goes up the tower for the free-fall ride. That elevator is dubbed “The Madman’s Lift.” It can be hand-cranked or electrified with LEGO® Powered Up components. The weird-looking – and I mean that literally – thing mounted on the wall above the desk, which looks like a jewel perched on a skull with tentacles is called “The Idol of Everest.” The skull under a green dome is the “Orb of OGEL.” On the left, we see a Minifigure™ playing the pipe organ. The portrait on the third floor above the pipe organ depicts Samuel von Barron. The giant spider web above the Orb of OGEL looks like it would fit in **Dracul**a (1931), if not **The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers** (2002).

Figure 6 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is the LEGO® Haunted House, opened, with nine of the ten Minifigures™ on display. We see the twins who run the attraction, the two ghosts, and five guests (one of whom is in a wheelchair). The skeleton is missing.

Figure 7 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is a “lifestyle” photo of the LEGO® Haunted House™ that shows a smiling woman giving final touches on the upper balcony on the tower.

Figure 8 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is another “lifestyle” photo of the LEGO® Haunted House™ that shows a smiling woman giving final touches on the upper balcony on the tower. In both of these lifestyle photos, we see the shutters open for that uppermost window in the tower.

Figure 9 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is how the LEGO® Haunted House™ looks when on display on a desk.

Figure 10 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is the LEGO® Haunted House™, closed and on display, with some of the ten Minifigures™, including the skeleton in the foreground. The other three Minifigures™ – the two ghosts and the other twin – are standing in the rear, closer to the building.

Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is a 360° view of the LEGO® Haunted House™.

In a press release, The LEGO® Group stated, “The new LEGO® Haunted House™ construction set is the latest example of how the LEGO Group aims to inspire builders of all ages to build, rebuild and get excited by the process of creation. The new LEGO® Haunted House, designed for those aged 18+, will be the first set from the LEGO Fairground Collection to feature the new stylish packaging designed to reflect the sophisticated nature of the creative process.”

The LEGO® Group stated, “Gear up for a spooky ride and bring to life the ultimate ghostly fairground experience, with the brand-new LEGO® Haunted House set. This latest addition to the LEGO Fairground collection is jam-packed with exciting features to surprise and entertain even the bravest of thrill-seekers.”

One can augment the LEGO® Haunted House set so the elevator moves with LEGO® Powered Up components, which are sold separately. A Medium Linear Motor (Item #88008) costs $16.99 (and is now also temporarily out of stock as of 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, A.D. 2020). A Hub (Item #88009), which requires batteries, is $49.99. With the LEGO® Powered Up app, one can connect to the Hub with Bluetooth®.

The LEGO® Group stated, “Modelled on Manor Von Barron, the spooky home of one of the world’s greatest villains – Samuel Von Barron, the new LEGO® Haunted House model is full to the brim with spine-tingling details. Its clever design features a fully functional free-fall ride with automatic doors at the top of the tower, giving brave riders a glimpse of the thrilling plummet to come, as well as intricate ghoulish details such as haunted doors and a cursed painting to warn off any trespassers…The 3,231-piece Haunted House model not only makes an impressive and creepy display piece…but also gives fans the chance to get hands-on and immerse themselves in the ghostly world. LEGO builders can open the model’s exterior and enter the ultimate haunted house to discover the features hidden inside – revealing Von Barron’s extensive collection of stolen artefacts which nod to LEGO brick sets of the past, including the Oragn of Catarino and the Orb of OGEL…This brand-new set has been designed specifically with adults in mind – providing an immersive, creative experience for them to re-focus, re-charge and get creative, whether they’re enjoying alone or as a challenging build with friends or younger builders…It’s also the first set from the LEGO Fairground Collection to feature the new stylish packaging designed to make it easier than ever for adult fans to find their new build challenge based on their individual passions.” For context, The LEGO® Group and adult fans of LEGO® (A.F.O.L.s) calls the experience of building a LEGO® structure a “build.”

Anders Hellegaard Iversen, Senior Marketing Manager, addressed the fashionable packing of the new set. “So many of our builders love the Creator Expert products, as they allow them to show off their passion for the bricks. Whether it’s their favorite film moments, sports icons, travel destinations, buildings, fairgrounds or vehicles, LEGO sets help to bring these to life in brick form. That’s also why we have decided to stop using the Creator Expert branding and, instead, use the new adult-focused packaging design to make it clearer which hobbies or brand products they can relate to. We hope this will make it easier for fans to track down models they would be proud to display once completed. Of course, our product range will continue to include the same advanced-build, collectible products that guarantee hours of building enjoyment for fans.”

The LEGO® Group stated, “All new products in the LEGO Group’s ranges that appeal to adults will now feature the sleek, minimalistic new design across related packaging, building instructions, exclusive content and in-store and online store design.”

$5.00 Per Month IN THE GARDEN CITY Subscription Plan

$50.00 Per Year IN THE GARDEN CITY Subscription Plan

Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: Carl Merriam; Senior Designer at The LEGO® Group; Mike Psiaki, LEGO® Design Master; and Austin Carlson, Graphic Designer, relate what they love about the design for the 3,231-piece set LEGO® Expert Creator Fairground Collection Haunted House (Item #10273). Oliver Merriam, the eight-year-old son of Carl Merriam, explains what he loves about the set, too.