LEGO Journeys to Middle-earth for New Shire Set

Fans of The Lord of the Rings won’t have to travel to New Zealand to visit Hobbiton anymore. 

Thanks to a new set from The LEGO Group, they can enjoy the bucolic neighborhood with elevenses at home. Available next month, The Lord of the Rings: The Shire ($269.99) joins LEGO’s Barad-dûr and Rivendell sets among its fan-favorite offerings from the Tolkien universe.

LEGO made the announcement with help from Sean Astin, who portrayed Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Astin stars in a mini-film that celebrates the launch and includes a tour of the new set.

The new set contains 2,017 pieces and interactive elements, and is a testament to the enduring power of friendship, adventure, and the magic of Middle-earth. Builders can transform a burning letter into The One Ring, make Bilbo vanish with the turn of a dial, and recreate the iconic dragon firework scene with interchangeable heads for Merry and Pippin. The set includes Gandalf’s horse and cart, the Party Tree, a party pavilion to celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday, and Bilbo’s book, which can be displayed open or closed. The set has nine minifigures: Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie Cotton, Samwise Gamgee, and Gandalf the Grey.

LEGO Insiders can purchase the set in advance from April 2 through April 5, when orders open for those who haven’t journeyed to Mordor. Purchases made between April 2 and April 8 include The Lord of the Rings: Sméagol & Déagol minibuild. See the set yourself online at lego.com/theshire.