Merlin Entertainments, one of the world's largest visitor attraction operators, has announced plans to open a new £7.5m Legoland Discovery Centre (LDC) at the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

The LDC, which is the company's most recent attraction concept, is scheduled to open in time for Easter 2010 and will be Merlin's first new-build UK visitor attraction since the Edinburgh Dungeon opened in Scotland in 2001.

Designed for children aged between three and 12-years-old, the LDC will include a 4D cinema, master classes from the Lego Master Model Builder, a Lego-based ride and global landmarks replicated in the MINILAND exhibit to offer an interactive and educational experience.

The planned Manchester LDC is one of two scheduled to open in 2010 as part of Merlin's plans to strengthen its position as one of the world's leading visitor attraction operators by rolling out up to four new sites across all of its brands each year.

It will also be the first attraction of its kind to be developed in the UK and the fourth worldwide since Merlin launched the concept in Berlin, Germany, in 2007. The company also operates LDCs in Chicago, US, and Duisburg, Germany.

Glenn Earlam, managing director of Merlin's Midway Attractions Operating Group, said: "The Trafford Centre is already a high footfall 'destination' for the family - and the inclusion of a quality leisure attraction like the LDC will we believe deliver significant incremental business to both companies - and to the City as a whole.

"This is our fourth LDC, the concept is already successful in Germany and the USA, and it is especially good to be opening one in our home market - the first completely new site we have opened here in the UK for almost 10 years."