LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Coming Exclusively to Plymouth Meeting Mall

Pennsylvania's popular family attraction to open in Spring 2017

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Dec 07, 2015, 02:00 ET

PREIT (PEI) has a primary focus on the ownership and management of differentiated retail shopping malls crafted to fit the dynamic communities they serve. The Company operates properties in 12 states in the eastern U.S. with concentration in the Mid-Atlantic and Greater Philadelphia region. The Company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More information about PREIT can be found at www.preit.com or on Twitter or LinkedIn.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Dec. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- LEGOLAND Discovery Centers, unique indoor attractions based on the popular LEGO® brick, will begin construction next summer on LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Philadelphia at PREIT's Plymouth Meeting Mall. The 33,000 square foot attraction will be a premier destination for adults and children when it opens at the center in Spring 2017.

Specifically designed for families with children aged 3-10, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia will offer a fun, highly interactive and educational two - three hour indoor experience. The attraction will offer a range of exciting LEGO play areas, master classes from the LEGO Master Model Builder, special party rooms for birthdays and other celebrations, a 4D cinema and, of course, the popular MINILAND area found in every LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Unique to every attraction, MINILAND reflects the iconic buildings of each individual attraction's location, and the local community will have a chance to nominate Philadelphia-area landmarks in a contest to be announced at a later date.

Owned and operated by global leisure giant Merlin Entertainments plc (Merlin), LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia will be Merlin's ninth Discovery Center to open in the United States. The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia will be the state's only location, and will represent Merlin's seventeenth Discovery Center globally.

"The LEGOLAND Discovery Centers have been a huge success across the globe, particularly as an opportunity for adults and children to spend fun, quality time together," said John Jakobsen, Chief New Openings Officer, Merlin Entertainments plc. "Plymouth Meeting Mall is the ideal location for the attraction as the mall is already a favored destination for Pennsylvania families and tourists from the region."

"We are so excited to add the LEGOLAND Discovery Center, one of only nine in the country, to the Plymouth Meeting Mall experience," said Joseph F. Coradino, CEO of PREIT. "The throngs of customers who will visit the attraction annually will catalyze an interior remerchandising effort that will further complement the existing experience which combines great shopping with destination entertainment, high quality dining and a gourmet grocer, attracting nearly every demographic."

Once completed, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia will be located on the south side of the property facing the Pennsylvania Turnpike and AMC Theatre.

With unsurpassed visibility and accessibility, Plymouth Meeting Mall offers a truly unique tenant roster and sits at the confluence of some of the busiest roadways in suburban Philadelphia where over 90 million cars pass by annually.

About Merlin Entertainments plc
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment. Europe's Number 1 and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 111 attractions, 12 hotels/4 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 63 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and c26,000 employees (peak season).

Merlin has twenty five attractions and two hotels in North America - including two stunning LEGOLAND Resorts – LEGOLAND Florida with its theme park, water park and hotel; and LEGOLAND California theme park with water park and the SEA LIFE aquarium and themed hotel; Orlando Eye; Madame Tussauds celebrity wax attractions in New York; Washington DC; Las Vegas; Hollywood; Orlando and San Francisco; LEGOLAND Discovery Centers in Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Kansas City Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Westchester, New York; Toronto, Canada; a Dungeon in San Francisco; and SEA LIFE aquariums in Phoenix, Arizona; Kansas City, Missouri; Michigan; Dallas/Fort Worth; the Mall of America in Minneapolis; Orlando, Florida and Charlotte – Concord, N Carolina - underlining the company's position as the world's biggest global aquarium operator. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.

About PREIT (Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust)
PREIT (NYSE:PEI) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership and management of differentiated shopping malls. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the company owns and operates approximately 27 million square feet of retail space in the eastern half of the United States with concentration in the Mid-Atlantic region's top MSAs. Since 2012, the company has seen a transformation guided by an emphasis on balance sheet strength, high-quality merchandising and disciplined capital expenditures. Additional information is available at www.preit.com, on Twitter or LinkedIn.

CONTACT: AT THE COMPANY
Heather Crowell
VP, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
(215) 499-6019
[email protected]

CONTACT: AT MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS PLC
Sally Ann Wilkinson
The Firm
Tel: 00 44 (0) 20 8899 6110
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE PREIT