Legoland California opened in Carlsbad on March 20, 1999, as the first Legoland built outside Europe and the original Legoland in the United States. What began as a single Lego-themed amusement park grew into a major Southern California resort with more than 60 rides, shows, and attractions, plus an aquarium, water park, and two hotels. Miniland USA became one of its defining features, with miniature scenes from seven parts of the country built from more than 20 million Lego bricks. Through steady expansion, ownership changes, and a pandemic closure and reopening, it became a central part of the company’s theme-park history.