MEMPHIS ZOO ANNOUNCES NATURE CONNECTS: ART WITH LEGO BRICKS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Build a connection with nature through an all-new, award-winning traveling exhibit featuring 15 giant LEGO brick sculptures on display now through July 9 at Memphis Zoo.

The sculptures, featuring more than 460,000 LEGO brick pieces, took more than 4,000 man-hours to build by hand. The exhibit, which will be displayed on the west side of the zoo, is free with general admission.

Visitors can expect to see the following sculptures:

Monarch Butterfly (39,708 pieces): North American monarch butterflies are known for their massive migration. As winter approaches, monarchs leave their home range and head south to Southern California or Mexico. This trip is more than 3,000 miles. As winter draws to an end, female monarchs begin the long journey back home. Along the way, they deposit eggs on milkweed plants.

Corn Spider (16,492 pieces): The corn spider, also known as the Black and Yellow garden spider, is very common and found throughout North America, ranging from Mexico to Canada. As its common name implies, these spiders can be found in and around gardens. One of the largest and most colorful spiders, females can be three times larger than males.

Hummingbird (61,107 pieces): The Ruby Throated Hummingbird is the only species of its kind in the Central and Eastern United States. This small but mighty bird can beat its wings up to 53 times a second. Different hummingbird species can be differentiated by the humming noises produced when they fly. They’re the only bird known to fly in any direction, including backwards and upside down.

Peacock (68,827 pieces): Peacocks, which once roamed freely at the Memphis Zoo, are back! This time, they’re made up with thousands of tiny LEGO brick pieces. Peafowl have different names depending on the sex of the bird; peacocks are males, peahens are females and babies are peachicks. Indian peacocks are known for their spectacular blue and green plumage, while peahens are oftentimes smaller and a drab brown.

For more information, visit www.memphiszoo.org.

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