The Cox Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach is hosting BRICK PLANET, an exhibit of 30 giant LEGO sculptures by artist Sean Kenney, and it runs all summer through September 27. If you have been looking for the thing to do with the family before the school year starts again, this is it. The drive from Boca is 25 to 35 minutes, and the experience is worth every minute of it.

The exhibit spans six themed galleries covering ecosystems from the Arctic to forests and savannas. These are not small display pieces. The sculptures are massive, built to fill rooms, and designed to tell conservation stories in a way that lands with kids and adults equally.

What to Look For

The showstopper is a coral reef sculpture built from nearly 90,000 LEGO bricks, standing over five feet tall. It took more than 550 hours to construct and connects directly to the aquarium's reef conservation mission. It is the kind of thing that stops people in the middle of a room.

The life-sized rhino is built to disappear from certain angles, leaving only its horn visible. The effect is striking and the message is deliberate - a reference to the species' decline due to endangerment. Beyond the sculptures, there are hands-on build stations where kids can create their own nature-inspired designs with help from the center's STEAM cart team.

The Insider Move

Go on a weekday if you can. Weekend crowds fill up the galleries, and the hands-on stations are easier to access when it is less packed. The Saturday and Sunday hours run until 6pm, which makes a late afternoon visit workable if weekdays are out. Admission includes full access to the Science Center and Aquarium, so plan to spend at least two to three hours to see everything.

What People Are Saying

BRICK PLANET has been drawing families from across Palm Beach County since it opened May 17. The combination of the Science Center's permanent exhibits and the LEGO sculptures makes it a full day rather than a quick stop. Visitors consistently point to the coral reef sculpture as the highlight, and the hands-on build stations keep kids engaged well past the gallery walk.

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