Home News LEGO Lord of the Rings: Shire Starts Epic Quest

LEGO Lord of the Rings: Shire Starts Epic Quest

Author : Emily Update : May 13,2025

LEGO enthusiasts and fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga have something to celebrate as LEGO unveils its latest addition to the Lord of the Rings series: The Shire. Set to release on April 2 for LEGO Insiders and April 5 for the general public, this set marks the third LEGO Lord of the Rings release in the last three years, following the 6,167-piece Rivendell in 2023 and the 5,471-piece Barad-dûr in 2024.

Out April 5### LEGO LOTR: The Shire, the Beginning of an Epic Quest

3See it at LEGO Store

The new 2,017-piece set, LEGO LOTR: The Shire, captures the essence of Bilbo Baggins' hobbit-hole with warmth and meticulous detail. Every wall is rounded or curved, adorned with numerous accessories, creating a truly immersive experience. IGN had the opportunity to test-build this set, and while it beautifully encapsulates the charm of its subject, it comes with a price tag that feels disproportionately high for its piece count.

We Build LEGO LOTR Shire

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Set #10354 offers a delightful rendition of Bilbo Baggins' home during his "eleventy-first" birthday celebration. This set includes nine minifigures: Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie Cotton, Samwise Gamgee, and Gandalf the Grey. The hobbit-hole, ingeniously built into a green-bricked hillside, features a cutaway view that allows you to see into three distinct rooms: the main foyer, a study, and a combined dining and sitting area.

The construction process involves building these rooms separately before connecting them with clamps, ensuring a seamless exterior and a unified interior. The set emphasizes the cozy ambiance of Bilbo's home, complete with patterned rugs, letters from well-wishers, and an array of food items like cheese above the fireplace and bread on the windowsill.

The set is also rich with artifacts from Bilbo's adventures, such as the Mithril Coat in a chest by the door and a well-worn map on a table. A sword and a parasol adorn the umbrella stand, adding to the home's character. A unique mechanical feature, utilizing LEGO Technic, allows you to switch the fireplace display between a charred envelope and the One Ring, referencing a key scene from The Fellowship of the Ring.

The rooms' design, wider than tall, reflects the hobbit architecture and creates a sense of spaciousness. While the interior construction is straightforward, the exterior demands more attention to detail to achieve the natural, flowing curves of the hillside. Building The Shire evokes a tactile pleasure similar to running one's hand over a detailed globe, with the varied slopes and curves of the green bricks.

The set communicates the harmony between hobbits and their environment, crowned by a tree with gnarled branches that drape over the hilltop. Additional elements such as a birthday cake, the Party Tree with lanterns, a patterned tent, a red dragon firework, and Gandalf's horse-drawn carriage enhance the set's storytelling potential. You can even switch the legs of Frodo and Gandalf to simulate sitting in the carriage. A group of barrels with interlocking gears allows you to recreate Bilbo's disappearing act from his birthday party.

Despite its simplicity, which aligns well with the hobbits' lifestyle, LEGO Shire's price point raises concerns. At $270 for 2,017 pieces, it exceeds the typical pricing metric of 10 cents per brick, making it 34% above the standard, while feeling more like a $200 set. This pricing discrepancy is notable, especially when compared to other LEGO Star Wars sets and previous Lord of the Rings sets like Rivendell and Barad-dûr, which offer better value per brick.

While LEGO might justify the pricing based on demand and the brand's goodwill, it remains to be seen if fans will embrace this pricing model. Nonetheless, the set's aesthetic appeal and connection to the beloved Lord of the Rings universe make it an attractive option for fans, particularly those who found the larger sets too expensive.

For those interested, LEGO has also released a mini-movie showcasing this set:

LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Shire, Set #10354, retails for $269.99, and it is composed of 2,017 pieces. It is available at the LEGO Store beginning on April 2 for LEGO Insiders and on April 5 for the general public.