Merlin Entertainments Group, the world's second biggest visitor attraction operator, has announced plans to build a $12m Legoland Discovery Centre in Grapevine Mills shopping mall, in Grapevine, Texas.

The centre will offer a highly interactive and educational two/three-hour indoor experience designed primarily for families with children aged between three and 12.

It will provide a range of interactive play areas, including a 4D cinema; master classes from the Lego master model builder; Lego rides; party rooms for birthdays and other celebrations; and the popular Miniland exhibit designed to reflect each individual attraction's location."

"We believe Grapevine is exactly the right location for a Legoland Discovery Centre," said Glenn Earlam, managing director of Merlin's Midway Attractions Operating Group, which includes the LDCs. "It is ideally situated between Dallas and Fort Worth, and is already a popular 'destination' for family visitors.

"The inclusion of a quality leisure attraction like the LDC will we believe deliver significant incremental business to both the mall - and to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and greater region as a whole. The LDC concept is already successful in Europe and elsewhere in the USA."