$79.99 when purchased online
Target Online store #3991
About this item
Highlights
- SCIENCE BUILDING SET – Celebrate groundbreaking innovations in science, technology, engineering and math with this collectible LEGO Ideas The Evolution of STEM display model
- 3 SCIENTIST MINIFIGURES – The “mother of modern physics” Marie Curie, Sir Isaac Newton, leader of the Scientific Revolution, and agricultural science pioneer George Washington Carver
- COLLECTIBLE DISPLAY MODEL – A buildable base shaped like an open book is topped with many mini builds including Newton’s apple tree, Carver’s plants bed, a space shuttle and a robotic arm
- FUN FEATURES – Turn the dial to make the 3D replica of a carbon atom float upwards and the DNA strand rotate, and look out for a Morse code message, NASA Voyager Probe with the Golden Record, and more
- GIFT FOR MEN AND WOMEN – This set makes a great gift for adults who love science or anyone with a passion for STEM subjects and history
- THE LEGO FANS’ CHOICE – This collectible building set for adults is part of a range of LEGO Ideas sets, each created by a fan designer, voted for by LEGO fans and produced by the LEGO Group
- DIMENSIONS – This 879-piece LEGO set measures over 10.5 in. (27 cm) high, 9 in. (23 cm) wide and 7.5 in. (19 cm) deep
Description
Open a brick-built book on the evolution of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) with this LEGO Ideas collectible display model for adults (21355). An inspiring science gift for women, men and history-lovers, the set features a buildable base in the shape of an open book topped by mini builds that represent historic innovations. Build an early car and a home computer, the NASA Voyager Probe with the Golden Record on board for any extraterrestrial life form that may find it, and much more. Turn the dial to make a 3D replica of a carbon atom float upwards and a DNA strand rotate. The set includes LEGO minifigures of 3 famous scientists: Marie Curie, the first person ever to win 2 Nobel prizes; Sir Isaac Newton, famous for his law of universal gravitation; and pioneering agricultural scientist George Washington Carver. Find building instructions in the box and on the LEGO Builder app to help you with every step of your rewarding, creative journey through the history of STEM. Contains 879 pieces.
Number of Pieces: 879
Suggested Age: 18 Years and Up
Model #: 21355
Educational Focus: Gross Motor Skills, Creativity, Fine Motor Skills, Sensory Development, Creative Thinking
Includes: Toy Building Components
Industry or Government Certifications: CPSIA Certified
Material: Plastic
Battery: No Battery Used
Street Date: March 1, 2025
TCIN: 92538299
UPC: 673419407663
Item Number (DPCI): 204-00-2392
Origin: Made in the USA and Imported
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 2.776 inches length x 10.315 inches width x 15.039 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.792 pounds
Return details
This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.
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4.6 out of 5 stars with 31 reviews
An Excellently Unique LEGO Set
5 out of 5 stars
Cape Cod Ewok - 13 days ago
originally posted on LEGO
This is an excellently unique LEGO set. I plan on giving several as gifts as well. While some reviewers are tooting their horn about B-DNA being the dominant right-handed form, let’s not ignore Z-DNA—the naturally occurring left-handed cousin of B-DNA! Maybe LEGO was just thinking ahead, giving underrepresented DNA structures a little time in the spotlight. Let’s not be pedants picking apart a toy meant to inspire, not pass peer review. This isn’t The New England Journal of Medicine—it’s LEGO. Let’s play!
Fun educational activity for teens on summer break
5 out of 5 stars
markt29_3539 - 16 days ago
originally posted on influenster.com
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] My 12-year-old son had fun building this set in his summer break. It's also educational. We didn’t rush it. He worked on it over a few days so no one ended up with sore eyes. The build was engaging, with a bunch of cool moving parts. My son especially liked turning the knob at the bottom that makes the DNA twist and the little carbon model go up and down. It’s simple but fun to see it all come to life. What I liked most was the chance to talk about the science behind it. There are three scientists featured in the set, and I tried to explain what they did and why it matters. The booklet has some info, but the print is tiny. My son didn’t have the patience to read it. Honestly, I wish LEGO had included a short educational video to make the science stuff more engaging for kids, like Mark Rober's videos. Also, a glossary or index at the back of the booklet would’ve made it easier to find the right info when questions came up. All in all, we had a great time building it together, mostly my son. It’s a nice fun activity for the summer break.
Lovely STEM LEGO set!
5 out of 5 stars
camiespice_9697 - 18 days ago
originally posted on influenster.com
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Loved this LEGO set. Did this over two different Sundays - like all LEGO sets the instructions were easy to follow - really enjoyed the educational tidbits in the instruction booklet to explain the significance of the parts you were assembling. Can also see that while I will be displaying this for a while, disassembly and rebuild value is high as long as you keep the instruction booklet that lists all the parts in the end.
Build and learn
5 out of 5 stars
marcyl7_6433 - 19 days ago
originally posted on influenster.com
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] It was both fun and educational to assemble this piece. As you follow along in the instructions, there are descriptions of the parts being built so you can understand the meaning behind them. As you would expect from Lego, the quality is great and there were no issues with missing pieces. This would be a great gift for a teacher or scientist.
So much fun to put together!!
5 out of 5 stars
esthersued_5145 - 19 days ago
originally posted on influenster.com
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This only took me about 3 hours to put together I did part by the pool lol…….there were a few challenging moments but it was a lot of fun for sure….I loved all the different details in the set but wished some of them weren’t covered….this was much smaller then I was expecting…. I also loved all the educational information in the book that you read along the way of building…..this is such a cool set to have and a must if you ask me….my girls even helped along the way and even looked up information on each of the things…..
Love this set!
5 out of 5 stars
dsharp_4746 - 26 days ago
originally posted on influenster.com
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] As a lifelong LEGO fan and science enthusiast, The Evolution of STEM is one of the most thoughtful and inspiring sets I’ve built. The concept of showcasing key STEM milestones on the pages of an open book is both creative and symbolic. The details are fantastic—tiny builds like the rotating DNA helix, chalkboard equations, and space shuttle capture major scientific breakthroughs in a compact and artistic way. The three minifigures—Marie Curie, Isaac Newton, and George Washington Carver—are well chosen and beautifully detailed, adding a personal touch to the story of discovery. I loved the hidden Easter eggs like the Morse code for “STEM” and the rainbow color spectrum. While the DNA twists the wrong direction scientifically, and some builds (like the bee) are a bit fiddly, these are minor flaws in an otherwise excellent set. It’s a fantastic display piece and a great conversation starter. This set is ideal for older kids, teens, or adults who love science, teaching, or education. It would make a great classroom gift or desk model for a teacher or scientist.
Love this set
5 out of 5 stars
UFoundJordan - 1 month ago
originally posted on LEGO
Absolutely love this set and each of tge elements in it. Great fun to build and looks amazing when built!
I loved this build!
5 out of 5 stars
MegaFascinatingCentipede - 2 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
This was so interesting to build. I really enjoyed all the little details. I bought it because it had Marie Curie in the set, but the whole build was pretty neat.
Comprehensive set but some downfalls
3 out of 5 stars
InspectorPeppyIcerlot103 - 2 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
As many reviewers have already mentioned, some things are not scientifically correct. Now personally I don’t find that a huge huge deal but I can understand why it would be for someone who is in that profession. Also noted was the build quality, man nothing stated together! The book kept breaking when I would add things, the bee was a nightmare too. I think overall it is a good set, and I hope more STEM sets are in the future. But the structural integrity of this was mid.
1 reply from LEGO® Customer Service team - 2 months ago
If you are ever having building issues, you can always reach out to LEGO.build/Service-BV, and we will take a closer look with you to make sure everything is in place.
Fun Build...but some issues
4 out of 5 stars
jfpetersen89 - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
This was a fun build, but there are some issues with this set. The first issue, that many users have pointed out, is that the DNA helix is reversed. It should be right handed, but that is an easy fix. The second issue I have is that the easter eggs are covered up! These should be displayed since these were some important contributions to STEM! My final issue with this set...the bee! That was a nightmare to keep from falling apart! This took me several tries to keep the bee together. This was my least favorite part of the set. Other than that, I have enjoyed the build.
Great tribute to STEM
5 out of 5 stars
PinkChirpyOnion103 - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
I was pleasantly amazed at the amount of science packed into this build, and the hidden science in the book pages. However, the build is not very sturdy, with bits breaking off during building and moving.
1 reply from LEGO® Customer Service team - 3 months ago
The foundations of innovation should be strong, so we suggest double-checking each step and rebuilding if anything isn't holding together. If there's still trouble, our experts at LEGO.build/Service-BV are happy to take a closer look.
Wonderful STEM set
5 out of 5 stars
bubba - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
Such an original design and a set that is packed full of details. I read the comments about the DNA being wrong so had to check for myself and found that Z-DNA is left handed so the design is correct. It was a very interesting build although the bee was a little fiddly. I also really like the book design and will probably use that as a base to make another creation of a fairy tale or such like.
Very fun build
5 out of 5 stars
FlakyKnees020 - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
As a student this was a perfect set at a very good price
Stunning bookshelf STEM model
5 out of 5 stars
Mikey118 - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
A great bookshelf model celebrating STEM. I love the little details like the Newton's apple tree and Marie Curie laboratory and the space shuttle and bumble bee. The DNA strands rotate as well when the book handle is turned. A fun set to build
Fixing the double helix
5 out of 5 stars
Dr. Helix - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
I'm a professor of molecular biology and genomics at an R1 US university, and the 1 star reviews are correct: the double helix of DNA is twisting the wrong way. I told Lego about this a couple of weeks ago and offered them a solution: To fix the helix to be right-handed is as simple as reversing (or actually mirroring) the instruction steps 58 through 67. Doing this will produce a correct, right-handed double helix. So anyone who wants the DNA to be right-handed should be able to easily do this. I know I will be doing it with my set.
Awesome
5 out of 5 stars
Herodotus - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
Got it for my son’s FLL team to give to their teacher. Made her cry. She loved it.
incorrect DNA structure
1 out of 5 stars
FrustratedChemist - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
echoing the sentiment of another reviewer that the DNA structure being incorrect is a slap in the face to the scientific community. disappointed in the lack of due diligence
It's good, but...
4 out of 5 stars
beezoluh - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
I bought this set because I am super into science, and that is what I have my degrees in, and while the set is super fun and is a great celebration of science... I was kind of disappointed. The build was short and kind of just felt "eh" for how much it cost. I still like it, still had fun, but I just think it was kind of smaller and shorter than I thought it would be because of the price.
Enjoying the build so far, but….
4 out of 5 stars
ColonelFranticCup103 - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
Enjoying the build so far. HOWEVER, to build the light spectrum and the Morse Code, just to cover it up makes no sense to me. All parts of the build should be visible.
One of the most clever and engaging sets ever!
5 out of 5 stars
Chris V - 3 months ago
originally posted on LEGO
This set is so unique and well thought out. It includes references to various important moments in scientific history, along with features that can spur conversations about science, math, physics and technology. There are a few very clever hidden Easter eggs here too!