A rare look inside the secret LEGO Museum reveals a program that follows the incredible longevity of the toy giant

Billund, Denmark – Millions of people around the world immediately recognize the look, feel – especially underfoot – and even the sound of LEGO. Plastic blocks have shaped childhood memories for generations.

At the company’s home in Denmark, decades of that experience have been captured inside a secret museum that can only be accessed by LEGO employees. CBS News, however, got a rare look inside that little-known museum, where it was possible to trace the evolution of one of the world’s most famous and beloved toys.

The museum is located near the original home of LEGO founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen – a reminder of the toy giant’s humble beginnings. The brand’s name reflects its philosophy: “LEGO” comes from the Danish word “leg godt,” or “play well.”

Inside the museum are some of the original LEGO bricks, including pieces dating back to the 1950s. Among the classic creations is the first LEGO “program” ever assembled – a village that laid the foundation for everything the company would build.

That system – the idea that all LEGO bricks, regardless of when they were made, can be connected – dates back to 1955, when the company put together that first toy city. Over the decades, LEGO creations have ranged from medieval cities to impressive architectural works.

The collection includes vintage sets that continue to function as they were created, many decades later, including a working tow castle from the 1970s. But there is no shortage of evolution, either. From the original designs, LEGO creations have grown in ambition and sophistication.

Along with the classics, the museum displays intricate creations from miniatures of iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower to LEGO wreaths. Some pieces came from LEGO subsidiary products. Many of today’s parents will be familiar, for example, with the legions of young characters from the classic children’s TV show Ninjago.

Inside the Lego House

CBS News also got a glimpse inside the LEGO House, a nearly 130,000-square-foot monument to the toy, filled with some 25 million LEGO bricks, including the 6 million-plus that make up the amazing “Creation Tree.”

Standing nearly 50 feet tall, it is the largest known LEGO creation in the world. Each branch is full of details, a feast for the eyes.

Behind every creation is LEGO’s in-house army of creators.

“There are about 700 designers here,” André Doxey, the first American head of design for the LEGO Group, told CBS News.

Doxey said creativity, not technical ability, has been the key to LEGO’s enduring popularity.

“You don’t have to be a designer,” he said. “You have to be brave, creative and curious, and try.”

Doxey believes that the incredible enduring popularity of LEGO is due to the freedom it offers.

“We know that people like to create, children like to create,” he said. “Our program is a source of creativity. It allows them to think whatever they want to think.”

LEGO: Not just for kids – but mostly for kids

And LEGO has found that appeal extends beyond childhood. Nostalgia plays a strong role in the company, and the so-called AFOLs – Older Fans of LEGO – represent an important and growing market.

But Design Master Milan Madge knows the audience well, and although he does not deny the growing popularity of complex structures, for adults, he said that children are always at the forefront of the company.

“They are our first inspiration,” he said. “We try to act like children and see the world through their eyes.”

Although modern designs are often created digitally to improve productivity, Madge said she still prefers to work with physical bricks.

“There’s a real connection between the mind and the creative process when you’re crafting,” he said.

That simple tactile connection – brick by brick – has helped make LEGO the world’s highest-grossing toy company. Families are built together. Friends gather in shared creation. Communities are formed, united by the sound of bricks rattling in a box.

“Everybody knows that sound,” Doxey told CBS News. “You shake it, and you know exactly what it is.”

Lovely toy, with plastic problem

Above all the ingenuity and ambition, however, the LEGO Group is also facing an important problem in the world that faces what most scientists say. critical climate: The company’s empire is almost completely built plasticand one of the main ingredients in plastic is fuel.

Each ton of LEGOs produced requires about two tons of fossil fuels in the manufacturing process, according to global sustainability information and data platform, illuminem. LEGO makes about 60 billion bricks a year, and based on illuminem data, some of the company’s largest sets can require the equivalent of more than 60 pounds of petrochemical equivalents to produce.

Despite ambitious climate promises, the company has so far failed to find a sustainable way for its toys.

LEGO abandoned the “brick bottle” program in 2023 after discovering a proposed recyclable material that it hopes will, in fact, increase carbon emissions compared to its current materials.

“LEGO bricks are designed for children, so they must meet the highest safety standards,” the company told CBS News in a statement. “They must also be strong, and precision-made to a hair’s breadth in order for a brick made today to be as good as one made 60 years ago.”

The company said it has tested more than 600 different materials for its LEGO bricks, including some derived from “sustainable sugarcane” and recycled materials from marble kitchen counters.

“Some materials have shown potential, but they didn’t meet our strict requirements for quality, safety and durability, even if they didn’t help reduce our carbon footprint,” the statement said, adding that the company is on track to have “60% of our purchases produced from sustainable sources” by the end of the year.

Even after all these years, LEGO continues to evolve.