Trends come and go, but LEGOs have always found a way to stay relevant. Part of the reason is there are endless opportunities for new sets to be released. Between new releases, re-releases and venerable favorites, LEGO veterans want a challenge that’s worth the price. I’ve been able to build, or at the least, check out many of the LEGO sets with over 3000 pieces. Each one of these sets have amazing detail and create a long, but fun, challenge. However, these are the three I would recommend looking at first as just a cut above the rest.
LEGO Hogwarts Castle (71043)
Pieces: 6020
Harry Potter has been popular for a while now, so it’s a bit surprising to see this still dominate wish lists with the LEGO Hogwarts Castle being released. While there are other sets related to the book series turned movie series, this is the big one.
A total of 6020 pieces means that this is not designed for children too young without assistance, but when completed, owners will have a true recreation of the castle from the movie, pretty much to scale. I knew before purchasing the set that this was going to a LEGO set really focusing on the details. The company seemed focused on doing things right to appease not only children, but adult LEGO fans and collectors. After all, although I am building this set with family, I’m just as excited as the little ones.
Shop The Hogwarts Castle Set Here
First Thoughts During Building
Obviously, this is the biggest LEGO set I’ve ever tackled. Each part of the castle is slightly different, so I enjoyed the fact that I was not constantly building the exact same thing. There are a total of three instruction booklets inside the set, and I really liked that because it helped with doing a group build. It allowed me to divide my team into small groups or even individuals to work on sections. A total of 10 bags in the set makes 6020 total pieces not sound so daunting.
There is a lot going on with this set. Details, detail and more details. From the library to the astronomy tower, LEGO certainly did not just mail it in and gloss over a section of the castle. When it all comes together, it’s a big castle. It’s over two feet wide, and the peak of the tallest tower is about 22 inches. It’s not obnoxiously big, but it is something that is noticeable when it’s inevitably on display once completed.
Most Impressive Feature
This set includes four minifigures, and 27 micro figures. That’s insane. Each one has amazing detail too, which just makes the entire set worth the hefty price take. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and Rowen Ravenclaw are the four minifigures, and they come with a display stand. Even by themselves, they could make a pretty solid display piece.
With all these figures, it’s one of the most playable sets in this price range as well. Every time I have a family member or friend come over and see this set, their first instinct is to play with it, regardless of age. Sometimes we forget that at its core, LEGO is very much a toy, but the figures are constant reminders.
Difficulty
All those pieces will take time to put together. In a lot of ways, I look at it as a 10-pack of LEGO sets. Each section had a range of difficulty, and without providing any true spoilers, one part in particular was really challenging. However, all of it can be handled by most kids of high school age and older by themselves. For the younger crowd, some assistance and group work is probably needed.
Harry Potter in general tends to bring in people of all ages, so if a younger child is really set on trying this set out, be patient with them. It can be accomplished with a little bit of help and the right amount of time. Just do not expect something this massive to be completely too quickly.
LEGO Taj Mahal (10256)
Pieces: 5923
The LEGO Taj Mahal stands out from the rest of the architecture-themes sets, and that’s saying something. There are a ton of options for pretty much all the major pieces of architecture in the world, and if you are like me, you tend to gravitate towards the places you’ve been to. The Taj Mahal is one of the only sets I feel like can truly be appreciated with or without seeing the real thing.
First Thoughts During Building
Wow, there are a lot of pieces here. I must admit, it has been a few years since my LEGO Taj Mahal was completed. I was fortunate enough to get my set during the first run, and I still have it on display today. Thanks to the renewed interest, I reflected on how I felt when first opening up this set.
There isn’t a ton of color with the Taj Mahal, so that’s another reason why I might have felt slightly overwhelmed at first glance. Like most architecture sets, it is very uniform and mirrored sections. There was a good amount of repetition at times, but I think everyone knows that going in just by looking at the picture on the box.
My strategy with most architecture sets comes down to focusing on each section. That helps keep things from becoming too cluttered too, which is nice.
Most Impressive Feature
The central dome on the LEGO Taj Mahal is simply beautiful. I have not been fortunate enough to visit the real thing (I’m sure it’s much more impressive), but for a LEGO set, this is great. I think just overall in general, LEGO did a great job scaling the architecture to a new level. I will admit that some of the parts can get repetitive since it is such a uniform structure, but the dome is a nice way to have things be switched up.
Once completed, the peak is just over 16” high. I felt like that was the perfect height. If this whole thing was any bigger, it might become too big to properly display.
Difficulty
Even though it isn’t technically the set with the most pieces any longer, even non-LEGO fans can appreciate the amount of work needed to put it all together. It’s a challenge that provides hours and hours of fun, but for adults and teenagers, it’s never so difficult that you feel like quitting. In fact, I felt like despite the amount of pieces, this was just somewhat difficult compared to other huge sets from LEGO. Architecture sets with more going on (Sydney Opera House for example) was more difficult.
Once completed, no one is going to question the difficulty. It looks like it takes a long time to put together, and it does.
Value
The Taj Mahal was a huge hit when LEGO first released it in 2008. By 2010, it was discontinued, making prices skyrocket. Thanks to the 10-year anniversary, the re-release makes this probably the best time to buy at retail.
A few years ago, the only options to buy this set new was to go the resale route. I was able to avoid that by buying it over 10 years ago now, but don’t wait on this too long. LEGO has made no announcement as far as when this could go back in the vault.
LEGO Bugatti Chiron (42083)
Pieces: 3599
There are a number of car options for LEGO fans, but out of all of the difficult ones, the LEGO Bugatti Chiron has it all. It is difficult, but not too difficult. The details are amazing, the color is sharp and it just stands out in a lineup with others.
Shop The Bugatti Chiron Set Here
First Thoughts During Building
It’s time to face the facts: I’m likely never going to own a Bugatti Chiron. I’m probably not going to own any high-end car featured in LEGO sets. Much like shopping for an actual car (Volkwagen Jetta in real life), I wanted a LEGO car that looks great, fits in my budget and can provide the right type of challenge.
The blue really just pops with this. You can tell before starting that this is going to be a nice looking finished piece. I was actually suprised with the size of the LEGO Bugatti Chiron after taking a look at the scaling. It is a 1:8 scale, so the car itself when finished is about 5 inches tall, 22 inches long and 9 inches wide.
Finally, the details when it comes to the interior of the car is pretty great. It looks like they spent a lot of time really going for a genuine look even in parts that can barely be seen once the set is put together.
Most Impressive Feature
I did not know this going in, but LEGO decided to make this so much like the Bugatti Chiron that even the instructions are written like the real thing. This is not only a cool feature, to build like you would a real Bugatti, but it is a huge learning tool for younger builders. The build has a ton of intricate parts to it, and the W16 engine itself is very cool.
The best suggestion I can get when dealing with this build is to take the time to learn the whole automobile production process. Obviously building a car is different than structures, but the two other sets above don’t have instructions that resemble the real thing like this at all.
LEGO tries to do this a lot with their more advanced sets, but with the Bugatti Chiron, the scaling works very well. This feature alone makes this set stand out from a lot of other sets with over 3000 pieces.
Difficulty
I would not say this is ultra difficult, but since there are so many intricate parts, it can be difficult for those who have not handled a LEGO set like this before. It is a good challenge though, because the progress can be seen very easily. If you are stuck building yet another tower on a building, the motivation might not be there to power through it. Each section is different on a car like the LEGO Bugatti Chiron, so motivation seems better.
This set is about as difficult as most of the cars also released by LEGO. Particularly speaking, the LEGO Porsche GTR is another set I own, and the build time was pretty much the same. A child middle school aged and up can do this by themselves, although it will take several hours spread out over a few days more than likely.
Value
The LEGO world and the car world definitely collide when it comes to the LEGO Bugatti Chiron. I am not even a car guy, but I can appreciate a great looking set. Not only is it something that is easy to display and catch attention, but it is a huge learning tool that can open up career ideas for kids.
Most people are only going to be able to buy one, or perhaps two LEGO car sets priced at this level. Between the detail, the color and the opportunity to learn other skills, this has the best value. It provides hours of entertainment, and then a countless amount of conversation starters once displayed afterwards. Now, it’s just time to work on getting the real thing.
LEGO Roller Coaster (10261)
Pieces: 4124
If there is one bummer about the LEGO Bugatti Chiron, it is the fact that it doesn’t operate. It’s a display piece, but can’t it be a play piece as well? If you are looking for something like that, maybe the LEGO Roller Coaster is a better fit. Not only is it a fun, challenging build, but with just a cheap add-on, it can be motorized.
Buy The Roller Coaster Set Here
First Thoughts During Building
There is certainly a lot going on with the LEGO Roller Coaster set. This is a set that has been out for a while, and can make a great piece as a stand alone or in a bigger set.
The shape of the pieces are all over the place. That makes sense, since there are a lot of twists and turns on the roller coaster itself, not to mention all of the extras near the base. Everything in the box is organized so it is not a completely overwhelming experiences checking it all out.
There are a few new things added to the set recently to complete it a bit more. This includes a rail slope, a bow brick, stalks, flowers and plant leaves. None of these additions are going to make or break the purchase by any means, but they do help the overall look a bit. It is always nice to see that LEGO is adding new things all the time.
Most Impressive Feature
It would be easy to just point to the rollercoaster itself (and the opportunity to motorize it), but the details on the ground level are great. There are a total of 11 minifigures, including a ride attendant measuring people and a kiosk to pick up action shots from the ride.
The whole set really captures everything going on near a roller coaster at an amusement park located, pretty much anywhere in the world. It is meant to be fun and not taken too seriously, which is another reason why I think motorizing the roller coaster is a must. While the three above might be more of a display piece, the Lego Roller Coaster is a 50/50 mix of a display and interactive piece.
Difficulty
This set can be overwhelming if you look at all the pieces at once. There are so many different things going on, so many unique shapes and even a wide array of colors. Keeping things organized is very key during the build. Staying on track, most people say it takes about 10-15 hours for a single person.
Building can be done in groups, and actually it is one of the few huge LEGO sets that can be done by a younger age group if done that way. It is probably a bit much for an elementary school child to 100% complete the set, but they can work on a specific section with ease.
Value
No one is going to claim this is the most difficult set, and it lacks any tie-in to another company or entity like a lot of the big ticket LEGO sets. To me, this is a step back to the earlier days of LEGOs. The theme of the entire set is an innocent, fun time at the amusement park, and it does that well.
The value is really there when you spend the extra little bit of money (less than $10) to add a LEGO Power Functions 8883 medium motor. It becomes a set that looks good on display, or a really fun toy to play with.
Born and raised in Chicago. Former high school teacher who became sick of getting summers off so I took on a 12-month a year job.
