Go 'On Safari' with Sheffield Bricktropolis
If you come down to Sheffield city centre today, you’re sure of some wild surprises 🎶
Spot a towering Bengal Tiger, take a selfie with an African Lion and discover an Alligator while trying out the new Sheffield Bricktropolis experience.
Here’s everything you need to know about going 'On Safari' along this exciting visitor trail.
🧱 How to take part in #SheffieldBricktropolis
🐅 Highlights of the visitor trail
🏖️ Other things to do in Sheffield city centre
🍕 Eating and drinking around the trail
🧱 How to take part in #SheffieldBricktropolis
Start your adventure at the Sheffield BID HQ aka 'Brick Central' on Surrey Street, next to the Winter Gardens. It’s now decorated with green Bricktropolis branding, so is easy to spot in the urban jungle.
There, trail maps are available to buy for £1 and there is also a raffle to win £500 of covetable Lego prizes.
You’ll also find the first animal on the trail, an adorable armadillo model, getting the mission off to an efficient start.
The map includes all the details needed to complete the trail, including a visual map of the city centre and a list of the safari destinations (PDF file opens in a new window).
There are multiple models located close by. So even with shorter legs in tow - as we had testing out the trail on launch day - it is possible to tick off several models quickly.
Once you’ve found all 17 life-sized models on the map, answer the three questions on the last page of the trail guide and return it to headquarters. You’ll find the answers you need on the information boards next to three of the models.
Every returned form will go into a prize draw to win a trip to LEGOLAND Windsor for a family of four, including travel and accommodation. Terms and conditions for the prize draw can be found here.
Sheffield Bricktropolis takes place every day until Sunday 18 August 2024, so there's plenty of time to find all 17 models.
🐅 Highlights of the visitor trail
The trail is aimed at fans of the nation’s favourite brick.
And on launch day it was proved that means people of all ages, from teenagers to grown ups and plenty of family groups. Little people loved following the colourful brick trails in place at some of the Sheffield Bricktropolis retail destinations.
These lead the way to individual models - such as the Hyena inside TK Maxx - and make picking up any back-to-school essentials a little bit easier!
We also stopped off at Sheffield Cathedral on Church Street to enjoy the two stay-and-play brick pits inside.
These contain thousands of bricks, including larger ones suitable for younger children, which can be modelled into anything their imaginations dream up.
This is also a good place for a break before heading to the outdoors destination Pennine Five from developers and trail sponsor RBH Properties, off Tenter Street.
Here there are two Sheffield Bricktropolis models to enjoy in a fun ‘selfie zone’ which appeals to older children and adults.
One of the models is the magnificent king of the jungle, a proud African Lion, and the other is a safari jeep which youngsters can pretend to drive.
It was truly impressive to see how many hours - and people - each model took to build.
We also picked up plenty of fascinating facts about every creature from their information boards, adding an educational element to the day out.
At the other end of town, the animal crechè inside the historic Atkinson’s department store was a big draw for groups with babies and toddlers.
Here they can find three different types of baby animals together in one display.
And the real jaw-dropping moment came just a short stroll away on The Moor.
A huge Bengal Tiger, constructed from a staggering 81,000 bricks over 390 hours, towered over the crowds of shoppers inside Primark.
Animal attractions to find at Sheffield Bricktropolis also include a snappy alligator and a kangaroo.
Meanwhile, the popular Builder’s Brew café on East Parade is hosting a programme of fringe activities which allow people to build their own themed masterpieces.
On certain dates - Thursday 15 and Friday 16 August - there’s also the chance to participate in a giant mosaic build. Hundreds of families work together to co-create a large themed mosaic which will be photographed and displayed on social media once complete.
🏖️ Other things to do in Sheffield city centre
Summer is a fantastic time to visit Sheffield city centre as there are even more attractions to enjoy.
Take a break from model spotting at Sheffield by the Seaside, which brings all the fun of the coast to the Peace Gardens.
There’s a mini beach, fairground fun and the famous fountains to enjoy. Also see if you can spot the new ‘bricks on the beach’ feature!
The new Pounds Park, close to Cambridge Street, is another free attraction worth adding on to create a full day out on the doorstep.
Climbing towers, slides and more sand play are on offer.
We also checked out the nearby musical pocket park at Charter Square on our way to discover the striking Sheffield Bricktropolis Zebra at the Light Cinema.
There, you can try more than ten outdoor musical instruments which celebrate Sheffield’s musical heritage.
Check out our full guide to what’s on in Sheffield during the six week holidays for more fun, and many completely free, things to do.
🍕 Eating and drinking
Spending a full day out at Sheffield Bricktropolis doesn’t need to mean spending a fortune.
Several city centre venues are offering a kids eat free deal for families taking part in the trail.
Participants include Pizza Express, where our enthusiastic testers enjoyed a margarita pizza and ice lolly for free with our adult meal.
Note: The Pizza Express deal is available up to and including Sunday 11 August 2024.
The independent food hall Sheffield Plate at Orchard Square, home to a diverse range of street food traders, is also part of the deal.
You can redeem the offer at Bella Italia at Sheffield St Paul’s and The Head of Steam on Norfolk Street, both located less than two minutes from the start of the trail.
Sheffield’s rich food scene has something for everyone, from artisan coffee haunts to dessert parlours.
More inspiration on where to eat lunch in Sheffield city centre can be found in our complete guide to daytime dining.
If you head out on a safari adventure at Sheffield Bricktropolis, don’t forget to tag us in your photographs, we're @sheffieldBID on X, @sheffieldbid on Instagram and @SheffieldBID on facebook.
And also keep an eye on What's On Sheff City Centre on facebook and X for the very latest about Sheffield Bricktropolis.
Visit sheffieldbricktropolis.com for full details and all trail information.
*Terms and conditions apply to the LEGOLAND Windsor competition.