15 LEGO Sets That Started as LEGO Ideas

Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, NASA, and more in our rundown of cool sets that came from LEGO Ideas...

By Rob Leane | June 12, 2017 | | 0

LEGO Ideas—formerly known as LEGO Cuusoo—is a really cool initiative. Through it, fans can suggest their own LEGO kit concepts, and if enough people show their support, the set actually gets made.

Loads of great LEGO sets have come to life this way, and there are bound to be more as the brick-based brand continues to grow. Here are sixteen wonderful ones that you can order or pre-order now…

NASA Apollo Saturn V

The latest addition to the LEGO Ideas collection is this gorgeous recreation of NASA’s Saturn V rocket, which saw action for the American space agency from 1967 to 1973 and played a critical part in the Moon landing.

The LEGO version—which comfortably earned the necessary 10,000 votes—boasts authentic details, moving parts and no less than 1,969 pieces. It also includes the lunar lander and the lunar orbiter, and comes with a booklet about the Apollo Moon mission.

Buy the Apollo Saturn V set on Amazon

Yellow Submarine

Another absolute gem here. Thanks to one fan’s brilliant idea, you can now recreate the golden (well, yellow) age of Beatlemania in the comfort of you own home.

The “Yellow Submarine” kit comes with all the Beatles in Minifigure form, as well as a 553-piece sub (complete with display stand). There’s even a little Jeremy, who comes with an apple.

Buy the Yellow Submarine set on Amazon

Adventure Time

Cartoon Network’s beloved animated series Adventure Time is now available in brick form, thanks, once again, to LEGO Ideas. This 495-piece set allows you to build your favorite characters and a few fun props.

Finn, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, Lady Rainicorn, Marceline, BMO, Ice King, and Gunter are the characters included, and Finn’s sword and Marceline’s axe-bass are among the extra.

Buy the Adventure Time set on Amazon

Caterham Seven 620R

As well as being an ideal gift for fans of classic sports cars, this Caterham Seven kit is a thing of beauty. It’s made up of 771 pieces, and comes packed with authentic details.

The nose cone can come off, and the engine can come out. The boot opens too, and can be used to house axle stands. It would look great on a shelf, or on the floor being rolled around with glee.

Buy the Caterham Seven set on Amazon

Research Institute

Here’s a great LEGO kit, which goes some way to addressing gender inequality in brick-based representation. The fact that the Research Institute kit came up through LEGO Ideas proves, without a doubt, that there is a market for female-focused kits. (As if we needed proof!)

It’s a smaller kit at just 165 pieces, and it includes four scientist Minifigures, some lab equipment and a ruddy great big dinosaur skeleton. What fun!

Buy the Research Institute set on Amazon

Minecraft: Micro World

The first of LEGO’s Minecraft kits was dubbed Micro World, and it garnered a groundswell of support on LEGO Ideas. The 480-piece kit allows you to build both Player and Creeper, and a small environment consisted of one-stud tiles.

The design touches here are particularly impressive. They’re even gone to the effort of making the faces look a bit pixelated, so it still feels like Minecraft despite existing in real life.

Buy the Minecraft set on Amazon

The Big Bang Theory

Leonard, Sheldon, Penny, Howard, Raj, Amy, and Bernadette are all present and correct in this lovingly fan-designed LEGO version of The Big Bang Theory apartment. The set is made up of 484 pieces, and it’s full of tiny details. Note Sheldon’s DC T-shirt, for example.

This one’s an ideal gift or self-pleasing purchase for fans of the show, and it could look great on a shelf full of DVDs. For extra thrills, put any other Minifigure in Sheldon’s sofa spot.

Buy The Big Bang Theory set on Amazon

WALL-E

Awwwwww! Just look at him! WALL-E finally got a LEGO set in 2015, just seven short years after his movie hit theaters. This 7 inch tall model of the iconic Disney/Pixar robot is comprised of 677 pieces, and it could be in your house tomorrow thanks to the magic of Amazon Prime.

Could you really say no to those sad robot eyes? What if I told you his rolling tracks really roll, and his neck and head are adjustable?

Buy the WALL-E Building set on Amazon

Maze

This one’s just a damn fine idea. Why not combine LEGO with other iconic playthings? They could do a whole set of toys-in-brick-form like this. You can really see why people voted for the maze. It’s very fun to mash two household staples into one package.

The maze is made up of 769 pieces, and it comes with four balls. It tilts and moves exactly as you’d expect. Suitable for ages ten and up.

Buy the LEGO Maze set on Amazon

ECTO-1

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! What they gonna arrive in? The ECTO-1, a converted Cadillac kitted out with top of the line anti-ghoul technology!

The LEGO version of this iconic movie vehicle is one of most famous LEGO Ideas to make into production. In fact, it was so popular that further Ghostbusters kits were added to the line later on.

The original ECTO-1 set is charmingly simple. It looks the part, despite being a relatively easy build at 508 pieces. Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore are all included in Minifigure form.

Buy the ECTO-1 set on Amazon

Curiosity Rover

The first NASA-themed concept to make it through the LEGO Ideas process and into shops around globe was this, the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Set.

It’s another simple build at 295 pieces, but it’s hard to deny that it looks spot-on. I particularly like the robotic arm bit at the front. (To use the technical term.) The LEGO Curiosity Rover would look great in any space-based collection.

Buy the Curiosity Rover set on Amazon

Doctor Who

Oooo-weee-ooooo!!! (Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun.) Oooo-weee-ooo. (Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun.) Dooo doo doooo, doo doo dooooo….. do do do doooooo……… Oooo-weee-ooooo!!! Oooo-weee-ooooo!!! (*Sci-fi sounds*)

Ahem. Yes. This Doctor Who set came into existence thanks to LEGO Ideas. Isn’t it great? It’s made up of 623 pieces. As well as the TARDIS door and console, it also includes LEGO Peter Capaldi, LEGO Jenna Coleman, LEGO Matt Smith, a LEGO Weeping Angel, and two LEGO Daleks (AKA “British robots”).

Buy the LEGO Doctor Who set on Amazon

Hayabusa

Before either of the NASA sets, the first piece of real-life space apparatus to make it through LEGO Ideas was the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa.

If you’re unfamiliar, the Hayabusa spacecraft left Earth in 2003, took samples from an asteroid, and returned victorious in 2010.

The LEGO version consists of 369 pieces, and is 26 cm tall by 28 wide.

Buy the Hayabusa set on Amazon

The DeLorean

Now that we’re living in the scary future of Back To The Future II, there’s never been a better time to invest in a DeLorean.

This LEGO version is one of the most famous LEGO Ideas to make it onto shop shelves, and it weighs in at 401 pieces. Of course, Marty McFly and Doc Brown Minifigures are included.

There’s also a real sense of love for the property with this set. The gull-wing doors open as they should, the wheels fold up, and there’s even a little flux capacitor. The ‘OUTATIME’ numberplates are included too, as is Marty’s skateboard.

Buy the DeLorean set on Amazon

Exo Suit

And, finally, a set that came to life thanks to two levels of LEGO fandom. Peter Reid suggested the design years ago, in an unofficial fan book, and it eventually garnered lots of love on LEGO Ideas. The resultant kit, the 321-piece Exo Suit, is a joy to behold.

As well as the suit, and the astronauts Pete and Yve, you also get a little robot turtle thing. Also, if you can build yourself a Xenomporph and a Ripley, the Exo Suit could probably double up as an Aliens prop.