Small New York Town Plans for Giant Legoland

Merlin Entertainments chooses the upstate New York hamlet of Goshen for its ninth Legoland theme park.

1 minute read

November 13, 2017, 7:00 AM PST

By Katharine Jose


LEGO Land

davebloggs007 / Flickr

Tourism is and long has been a major industry in New York's Hudson Valley, but particularly in recent years has been more of an "Un-Hamptons" for Brooklyn types looking for second homes"farm-to-table" cuisine or "craft tourism" than the sort of place a person could find a theme park. 

That may change, as the town of Goshen, which has less than 6,000 residents, recently approved the development of a $500 million Legoland by a "$7.1 billion conglomerate second only to Disney in its parks’ attendance."
Those in favor of the plan believe it will "bring considerable revenue into the town" while others "have raised concerns about the local impacts of the development."  
And though it was "not likely to impede the park’s progress," those opposed to the plan endured a setback last Thursday when a judge ruled against a petition for a public referendum on the sale of the land. 

Monday, October 23, 2017 in The Architect's Newspaper

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

30 minutes ago - WTTV

Red and black pavilion with visitor information in public park in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Baker Creek Pavilion: Blending Nature and Architecture in Knoxville

Knoxville’s urban wilderness planning initiative unveils the "Baker Creek Pavilion" to increase the city's access to green spaces.

2 hours ago - Dezeen

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

4 hours ago - Streetsblog USA