The Danish LEGO toy company's annual popular product - the Modular Buildings Collection, also known as the "Street View" series by LEGO fans - surprisingly broke its one-set-per-year tradition in 2023! Following the release of "10312 Jazz Club" earlier in the year, a new set, "10326 Museum of Natural History", will be released in December! Today, we at Toy People editorial are going to play with this LEGO set with all of you!
The special aspect of this set is not only that it's the second Modular Building to be surprisingly released at the end of 2023, but it also holds the title for the Modular Building with the most pieces to date, slightly surpassing "10255 Assembly Square" (4002 pieces) with its 4014 pieces. As the Modular Buildings series increasingly emphasizes storytelling and world-building in recent years, you can also find small Easter eggs related to other Modular Buildings within this Museum of Natural History. So let's get started right away!
▼ The front of the box features a black base tone that clearly highlights the main subject, with the Modular Buildings Collection LOGO and the product name "Museum of Natural History" printed in the upper right corner.
▼ Upon closer inspection, it's clear that right next to the museum are the Jazz Club and Boutique Hotel, echoing the back of the box. Such great detail!
▼ Turning to the back, there are interior displays, a schematic diagram showing it paired with the Jazz Club and Boutique Hotel, and the detailed dimensions after assembly: approximately 31 cm high and 39 cm long. It's worth noting that this Museum of Natural History and "10255 Assembly Square" are currently the only two Modular Buildings sets that break the 32x32 baseplate standard, both featuring a 48x32 configuration.
▼ The side of the box shows another angle of the museum's front.
▼ The top features an overview of all the minifigures, along with one of this set's highlights: the Brachiosaurus skeleton model.
▼ Let's proceed to unbox and examine the contents! It includes one instruction manual and two large posters made of soft plastic film.
▼ This time, the instruction manual only has two pages of introductory material, which is essentially designer Chris McVeigh's introduction to this museum.
▼ On one side is the ancient era, full of romantic colors, and on the other is future exploration built on scientific foundations! I really love this kind of printing that highlights light and shadow, and is also very vibrant in color.
▼ A total of 4014 pieces, including 33 numbered bags of parts + 1 unnumbered bag of white long bar pieces, and two baseplates, a combination of the standard Modular Buildings 32x32 and 16x32.
▼ Let the joyful building time begin!
▼ Complete! Let's admire this latest Modular Building - the Museum of Natural History - from every angle.
▼ The large olive green walls paired with the white facade are absolutely beautiful. The massive door columns not only give the overall visual effect a sense of stability, but also exude a grandeur unique to museums. Coupled with dark gray and sand-colored accents, and that blooming cherry blossom tree, the color palette is truly superb.
▼ Although the back doesn't have many details, you can absolutely feel Chris McVeigh's dedication to color and symmetry.
▼ Even the back door has a distinct museum style!
▼ As is customary, let's take a look at the small details that might be overlooked after assembly! First up are the bones discovered hidden beneath the floor when building the ground floor foundation, instantly giving a spooky ghost story vibe (not really).
▼ One of the very important elements in the Street View series of buildings, the "restroom," is here! You can see the toilet and toilet paper roll fully recreated. On the other side is a laboratory for studying dinosaur fossils, connected to the back door. Once assembled, this section is hidden behind the gift shop wall; we'll take a closer look later.
▼ Next is a design that the editor personally absolutely loves: the assembly of the base of the white columns at the museum's main entrance. The clean lines and layered stacking are quite captivating.
▼ The sand-colored column trim frame outside the dark brown window frames is also very beautiful. Everywhere, you can feel designer Chris McVeigh's pursuit of stylistic details.
▼ The rooftop skylight features transparent pieces, just like regular windows, embedded within curved window frames.
▼ Let's take a closer look at this Brachiosaurus skeleton. It's incredibly interesting that several of the bones in the middle are represented by bananas! The shaping of the head is also worth learning from! The central piece of the head is the same part as Black Widow's pistol from the "76269 Avengers Tower" we played with last time, just painted white – super cool!
▼ Next, let's take a look at the interior details of each floor. On the right side of the first floor is the Paleontology exhibition hall. In addition to the giant Brachiosaurus skeleton, there are also a miniature but exquisite saber-toothed tiger skeleton model, fossils represented by whip pieces, and dinosaur egg fossils placed by the window.
▼ The Brachiosaurus skeleton is quite tall, so the second floor also features an open floor design for it. This is indeed one of the common display scenarios encountered when visiting museums.
▼ The design of the Brachiosaurus skeleton display stand is also worth mentioning. It can be easily removed from the first floor for play, making it very intuitive and portable.
▼ Well-preserved and even somewhat elegant Triceratops droppings! This is probably the editor's personal favorite item on the first floor (laughs).
▼ Next, let's move to the center, where the gift shop is located. As expected, it needs to be right in the middle of the first-floor lobby! Make money, make money~ give the museum some cash.
▼ In addition to the shelves for merchandise, the flooring is also beautifully laid.
▼ After removing the gift shop wall, you'll see the restroom located at the back and the dinosaur fossil research lab connected to the back door.
▼ Next is the left section of the first floor, which is the Geology exhibition hall and also features pottery artworks. Here's a little Easter egg: the pottery here is by an artist who lives above the "10243 Parisian Restaurant." Opposite the pottery is a miniature volcano model, super cute.
▼ Upon closer inspection, you can even find a piece of pottery that has been knocked to the ground and shattered into three pieces! Was it a mischievous dog running around? Or a child in a green shirt? This story is up to you to decide~ The editor personally would definitely make it seem like the child knocked it over (how mischievous!).
▼ In the Geology section, there's a display cabinet showcasing quartz, stalagmites, and crystals.
▼ On a bench hidden under the stairs, someone even forgot their donut. This person clearly visited the donut shop in the "10278 Police Station" – how careless! And whether eating in a museum is even allowed is another question!
▼ On the wall hangs a diagram of Earth's internal structure. While admiring the Earth's core, take the opportunity to take in the entire first-floor structure!
▼ Before heading up to the second floor, let's take a look at the staircase! It doesn't simply use existing stair pieces but employs a new construction method, which is very beautiful.
▼ We'll start our tour of the second floor from the right side, as before! Here, there are brick-built models and minifigure head decorations for three themes: Pirates, Forestmen, and Castle. This also represents a significant moment in the history of LEGO minifigures. For example, the first modern versions of LEGO minifigures were introduced in 1978, and Castle series sets also included these minifigures. Meanwhile, LEGO Pirates minifigures were the first to break away from the smiling expression, featuring new prints on their faces such as eye patches, beards, and expressive mouths.
▼ You can choose to build a ship with 500 pieces or just 5 pieces – that's the incredible charm of LEGO!
▼ A giant anchor hangs on the wall.
▼ The central area is dedicated to space, with a world map and a rocket featuring a transparent flight path hanging on the wall, alongside a rocket model poised for launch.
▼ Opposite the world map is the heliocentric model, which has been highly anticipated since its official image release and offers a fascinating building experience.
▼ The 1x1 transparent U-clip pieces are ingeniously used to create the floating appearance of planetary rings – absolutely spot on.
▼ The left side of the second floor features scientific exhibits, including a vintage telescope hanging on the wall, a very cool brick-built Asteroid, and an unexpected mini-display that pays homage to LEGO's classic Space series launched in 1979. It includes a Galaxy Explorer spaceship, a command center, and a Space Buggy, all completed with just two pieces, once again showcasing LEGO's possibilities and the designers' imagination.
圖片來源：Brickset
▼ A railing is set up in front of the stairs leading up from the second floor, as beyond it lies the director's office on the top floor, generally off-limits to the public. But come on – you're toy enthusiasts watching this, so of course, we have to go up and explore!
▼ The rooftop door features an upward-opening design.
▼ The director's office is a wonderfully cozy space! Natural light can stream in through the transparent skylight at the top, just like the museum's main roof.
▼ The two small golden figures on the desk are trophies the director won for a documentary he filmed, and his work was even screened at the "10232 Royal Theater"!
▼ An astronomical telescope is also set up on the roof.
▼ As mentioned earlier, due to the immense size of the Brachiosaurus skeleton, part of the second-floor space connects to the first floor, creating an excellent visual effect and adding to the play experience. For instance, looking down from the second floor, you can spot a red indicator brick above the door of the dinosaur fossil research lab, and the structure formed by the two staircases is also remarkably beautiful.
▼ Next, let's examine the details around the museum! First, the grand main entrance, where the "MUSEUM" sign is a printed piece – in fact, this modular building set contains absolutely no stickers.
▼ A bench is placed by the roadside, perfect for sitting and feeding the birds.
▼ The dog that caused a ruckus in the museum in this set's promotional video!
▼ The design using black arrow pieces as railings adds more detail than simple thin bar pieces, but also a bit more pain during assembly (laughs).
▼ Absolutely love this Brachiosaurus poster, which also indicates that the museum is currently hosting a dinosaur-themed exhibition.
▼ The window cleaning lift is a rather novel element within a modular building set.
▼ On the back, you can see the drainpipe running directly from the roof to the first floor, and even flowers growing near the puddles – life truly finds a way.
▼ Moving on to the minifigures, this set includes a total of 9 minifigures. The museum staff includes the director, two male and female employees, and the window cleaner.
▼ Additionally, there's a child visitor, a woman with a camera, a grey-haired elderly lady, and the statues standing on either side of the main entrance.
LEGO 10326 "Natural History Museum" Unboxing Summary:
This museum set, in terms of its theme selection, more luxurious specifications compared to other buildings, overall aesthetic presentation, and interior detail arrangements, is personally considered by the editor to be an exceptionally outstanding modular building. Coupled with designer Chris McVeigh's meticulous exterior design and the storytelling infused into it, this set is truly remarkable and captivating! The magnificent facade is incredibly impressive, and the inclusion of the charming new window cleaning lift element is a great touch. The internal structure is arranged as meticulously as an excellent exhibition in a real museum. While exploring each section, you can also discover shared Easter eggs with other modular buildings, making it truly fascinating and incredibly fun!
LEGO 10326 Museum of Natural History
Suggested Retail Price: NT$9,199, Total Pieces: 4014, Estimated Release Date: December 1, 2023, available at LEGO Certified Stores
