LEGO Town, introduced in 1978 as a core "System within the System" theme, depicts everyday city life using the newly introduced minifigures. It is the foundational theme that evolved into the modern LEGO City line.
History of LEGO Town
The concept of a LEGO town dates back to the 1950s with the "Town Plan" accessories, but the official play theme launched in 1978 under the "LEGOLAND" banner.
1978 Launch: Town was one of the first three themes introduced alongside Castle and Space. It represented the "present day" and was the first theme to feature vehicles and buildings built to the scale of the modern minifigure.
"Classic Town" Era (1978-1997): This era is known for its simple, yet effective building style. Sets often featured basic vehicles that were four studs wide and buildings with many open-backed designs for easy play access. Minifigures had the classic, universal smiling face.
Renaming: In 1991, the "LEGOLAND" branding was dropped, and the theme became simply "LEGO Town". It was later rebranded as "LEGO City" in 1999 (with a brief stint as "World City" in 2003-2004).
Key Set Types and Sub-themes
The Town theme covered a wide range of municipal and private services, offering a complete urban environment:
Emergency Services: Police stations, fire stations, and emergency vehicles were staples of the theme from the very beginning.
Transportation: Vehicles such as cars, trucks, buses, and service vehicles (e.g., Shell service cars) were abundant. The theme also encompassed the Trains line, which was revamped in 1980 to complement the town scale.
Commercial & Residential: Sets included houses, garages, snack bars, post offices, hospitals, and various shops, creating a lived-in feel for the town.
Road System: The theme incorporated printed road baseplates, which allowed builders to connect sets and create sprawling city layouts.
Notable Early Sets
LEGO 600 Police Patrol: Noteworthy as the very first set to contain the modern police officer minifigure.
LEGO 376 House with Garden: A classic example of an early residential building from the first year.
LEGO 6380 Emergency Treatment Center (1987): An example of a detailed hospital set from the later Classic Town era.
LEGO 6399 Airport Shuttle (1990): A large, popular monorail set considered one of the highlights of the Classic Town era.