LEGO 10273 Haunted House is the Fairground Collection’s new spooky expansion

May 13, 2020 | 12

Coming soon to your LEGO Fairground is the all-new LEGO 10273 Haunted House, a spooky new attraction that will surprise and delight even the bravest of thrill-seekers.

Not to be confused with 10228 Haunted House, the 3,231-piece Haunted House will join the likes of the Roller Coaster, Fairground Mixer, Carousel, and Ferris Wheel in the ever-expanding collection of theme park uh-themed builds, which now has its own sub-theme name called The Fairground Collection.

The 2020 LEGO Haunted House has a release date of 1 June 2020, and will retail for US$249.99 / AU$349.99. LEGO VIP members will receive early access to the set on 20 May 2020.

See below for regional pricing and links:

• LEGO 10273 Haunted House [US] – US$249.99
• LEGO 10273 Haunted House [AU] – AU$349.99
• LEGO 10273 Haunted House [UK] – £209.99
• LEGO 10273 Haunted House [EU] – €229.99
• LEGO 10273 Haunted House [CA] – CA$299.99

Note: these are affiliate links

First of all, I’m kind of glad this isn’t a new ride. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Fairground sets, with the Roller Coaster being one of my favourite sets of all time, but I really like the fresh new approach of the Haunted House.

It also helps that the original Haunted House (10228) is one of my grail sets, and I’m still disappointed that I never picked it up. I think a lot of people may have missed out, and this seems like LEGO offering a second chance, without going as far as releasing a carbon copy re-issue.

The new packaging design is really neat, and the lack of a Creator Expert badge for a set of this size and price is a bit interesting, but buried in the press release is this quote from Senior Marketing Manager Anders Hellegaard Iversen “So many of our older builders love the Creator Expert products, as they allow them to show off their passion for the bricks.

Whether it’s their favorite film moments, sport icons, travel destinations, buildings, fairgrounds or vehicles, LEGO sets help to bring these to life in brick form.

That’s also why we have decided to stop using the Creator Expert branding and, instead, use the new adult-focused packaging design to make it clearer which hobbies or brand products they can relate to. We hope this will make it easier for fans to track down models they would be proud to display once completed. Of course, our product range will continue to include the same advanced-build, collectible products that guarantee hours of building enjoyment for fans.”

This is a little interesting… and seems to point towards the retirement of the Creator Expert label, for non-modular sets?

First impressions is that this is a tall set, with a fairly small footprint, which is great for those of us desperately short on display space. The set stands at over 26.5” (68cm) high, 9” (25cm) wide and 9” (25cm) deep.

It has a doll-house like design, with the back folding open to reveal detailed interiors.

I really like the colour scheme, and the decision to use olive bricks is quite an inspired one, as it makes it look more realistic, and less cartoony. The olive also helps the pitch black roof and spire stand out as well.

The set comes with 9 minifigures, with a nice mix of ghosts, a skeleton and guests who are scared silly by the Haunted House. I really like the addition of the guy in the wheelchair, and the 50-50 gender equal split.

LEGO is heavily leaning into nostalgia in 2020, and this set is a brilliant ode to the Adventurers theme, with a direct nod towards sets like 5978 Sphinx Secret Surprise.

The entire Haunted House is modelled after Manor Von Barron, the spooky home of one of the world’s greatest villains – Samuel Von Barron from the Adventurers theme – his likeness, and many cool references towards sets he’s featured in are peppered throughout the build.

The tall Haunted House tower contains a fully functional free-fall ride with automatic doors at the top of the tower, giving brave riders a glimpse of the thrilling plummet to come, as well as intricate ghoulish details such as haunted doors and a cursed painting to warn off any trespassers.

Also featured is a reference to Ogel and his Evil Orbs for just a bit more meta.

To enhance the spooky experience even further and unlock special features, such as a moving elevator, fans can also add LEGO Powered Up components (available separately) and control and amplify the set as they build via LEGO’s Powered Up app.

I think this set is a fun little build that most LEGO fans would welcome. Whether you appreciate the nostalgia, or you’re taken by the unique Adams Family-esque architecture, I think 10273 Haunted House does a great job of standing out from the other LEGO sets currently on the market.

The release date is a little peculiar, as you’d expect this to come out closer to Halloween.

I think this set has enough of a novelty factor to cater to a wide array of LEGO fans, although the price is a little frightful.

LEGO 10273 Haunted House will be available from LEGO.com from the 20th of May onwards, or from your local LEGO Brand Retail Store if they’re open.

Disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post and across the site. if you make a purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, which is super helpful to pay for server costs, and sets I purchase for review!

What do you think of the set? Let me know in the comments!