Skip to main content

Largest Lego cathedral in the world being built at National Cathedral in DC

[connatix_element_embed script_id=92e0b4075cd54cfca87087d4c89846ff player_id=7bc491b4-922b-4e8d-b1b1-150648e80442 video_id=2544fd98-9085-4435-9c0f-6a57e98d901c align=right]

The gift shop at Washington National Cathedral in D.C. could eventually be home to the largest Lego cathedral in the world.

The project was started in 2019 and is now made up of 125,000 Lego bricks. When it’s completed, it will be 8 feet tall, 13 feet long, weigh 1,350 pounds and be made of over 500,000 Lego bricks.

WTOP took a tour of the Lego building site with Faith Wang, visitor and engagement specialist at Washington National Cathedral.

“It will be roughly the size of a minivan,” Wang said. “It will take roughly five or six more years to finish building.”

That may sound like a long time, but it’s not nearly as long as the 83 years it took to build the real National Cathedral.

The project was designed by Lego model maker Romão Santos, who lives in Portugal.

“He sends his designs digitally and then it comes to life in Lego bricks for the first time here on site,” Wang said.

woman looks at cathedral built from legos
Faith Wang, visitor and engagement specialist at Washington National Cathedral, looks at the Lego cathedral that sits inside the cathedral’s gift shop. The Lego version will take five or six more years to complete.

People from all around the world have helped build the structure by making a donation that goes to the restoration and maintenance of the National Cathedral. The amount starts at $2 a brick, and goes up to $150 for 90 bricks.

This Saturday is a family fun day and volunteers will be there to help you add bricks and get it closer to being the largest Lego cathedral in the world.

Help and assistance programs for furloughed federal workers in the DC region

We want to know your thoughts on the government shutdown. How are you and your family affected? Share your story — Send us a message or a voice note through the WTOP News app on Apple or Android. Click the “Feedback” button in the app’s navigation bar. Some companies and local governments in the D.C. region are offering help to federal workers, many of whom are being furloughed and won't be paid during the government shutdown.
Read Next Story