Iowa’s First LEGO Store Has Officially Opened its Doors

Following the announcement in December 2023, Iowa's first LEGO store has opened its doors, uniting builders of all ages to stop in, flex their imagination, and acquire pieces of full-blown sets for their collections.

In December, We Are Iowa Local 5 News confirmed that Iowa's first LEGO store was coming to a shopping center near the state's capital. The store would be located inside a bustling town center, and would be the first LEGO store to open in the Hawkeye State. As of last week, that store has officially opened to the public.

Iowa's first LEGO store opened in Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, IA. The new store is located at 101 Jordan Creek Parkway. Until now, the closest LEGO store for Iowans would either be the store in in the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL, or in Minnesota, located inside the Mall of America.

I've been to the LEGO store in the Mall of America, and it's quite an experience. You're able to pick up and purchase individual pieces (including hard-to-find or exclusive ones), build whatever your heart desires in the play area, purchase sets, and even see several already-built models on display. It's both an interactive shopping experience and a full-blown museum at the same time.

One Iowan named Joe Feldmann challenged himself to celebrate the opening of Iowa's first LEGO store by constructing a replica of Des Moines' skyline with the bricks. He further challenged himself by committing to use only 1,234 bricks to build the Iowa Capitol Building, the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge, the 801 Grand Building, the Krause Gateway Center, and Pappajohn Sculpture Park, per The Des Moines Register.

Furthermore, LEGO stores are also famous for featuring an abundance of mini-figures in all shapes, sizes, and variations. When my friend went on a trip several years ago, he got me a keychain of a LEGO figure dressed in a suit that looked like corn on the cob (it's an inside joke). That shows you the depths of specificity that exist in those colorful stores.

LEGO has opened 155 stores worldwide in 2022, and has more than 900 locations in over 130 countries, per KCCI. For now, you can check out Iowa's first LEGO store at the Jordan Creek Town Center. Fittingly, the ribbon-cutting for the store's opening was done with a pair of scissors built entirely from LEGOs.