Lego Vatican on display in Philadelphia ahead of pope visit

Philadelphia’s science museum is hosting a blockbuster exhibit of Lego sculptures and was preparing to unveil a huge display of Holy See treasures for the pope’s upcoming visit when administrators got a serendipitous inquiry.

Would they like to see a model of the Vatican that a priest built entirely of Legos?

“It’s amazing,” says Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of The Franklin Institute, where the plastic brick structure is now on view in downtown Philadelphia. “People are in awe.”

The Rev. Bob Simon spent about 10 months constructing a mini St. Peter’s Basilica out of a half-million Legos. His architectural feat includes a Lego pope on a balcony overlooking the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, which itself is made up of about 44,000 Lego pieces resembling cobblestones.

A colorful cast of Lego characters populates the piazza, including a nun with a selfie stick and a bespectacled figurine of Simon. All told, the display measures 14 feet by 6 feet and weighs about 100 pounds.

In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 photo, a Lego pope figure stands on a balcony overlooking the crowd in the piazza in a Lego representation of the St. Peter’s basilica and square, at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 photo, figurines are shown in a Lego representation of the St. Peter’s basilica and square, at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 photo, a Lego representation is shown of the St. Peter’s basilica and square, at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 photo, the Rev. Bob Simon speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

— AP