Legoland New York is Officially a Go, Slated to Open in 2020

© Legoland New York

After working though a considerable amount of hurdles to receive final approval, Legoland New York has been officially announced for a 2020 grand opening.

The third Legoland theme park in the United States, Legoland New York will require an investment of $350 million by owner Merlin Entertainments - the largest they've spent yet on a single new park.  The development covers nearly 500 acres in Goshen, New York, which is around sixty miles Northeast of Manhattan.

© Legoland New York

The park's specific offerings will model the other successful Legoland theme parks across the globe.  The site will eventually have a 250 room hotel, but it doesn't sound like that is planned for the 2020 opening phase.  Some images of the park, like those seen above, can be found in this clip from the formal announcement of the park.  It would appear that we can count on a Dragon themed roller coaster, which is pretty much a staple ride at all the Legoland parks.  This one looks like one of the larger models that have been installed in recent years.

© Legoland New York

The park will create around 1,000 new jobs, with hundreds more during the several year construction phase.

“Legoland New York is the first new major theme park in the North East of the U.S. for several decades, and is perfectly located for visitors from New York, Boston and Philadelphia and beyond,” Merlin Chief Executive Nick Varney said.  It will be located in an area that has a population of around 23 million within each driving distance to the park.  Unlike its sister parks in the U.S., Legoland New York will not be open year round, instead using an April through November operating schedule.

Stay tuned to the park's website and Facebook for additional updates as construction begins, which should be within six months from now.