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Troll fans around the region have a reason to rejoice this week. After playing host to five of Thomas Dambo’s original six Pacific Northwest trolls for the past three years, we’re getting a whole new slate of whimsical giants — 12, to be exact.
Families can find the new towering troll sculptures, part of “Trolls: A Field Study,” hidden throughout the forests of Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium starting Oct. 15. They will be on display through Jan. 24, 2027.
Art with a mission
In his latest exhibition, “Trolls: A Field Study,” Dambo continues to invite people to connect with nature and find adventure by weaving storytelling elements into his natural art. His upcycled pieces also highlight issues surrounding sustainability and environmental stewardship.
“We’re always looking for new ways to connect people with nature, wildlife and the outdoors,” says Matt Mauer, president of the Parks Tacoma Board of Commissioners, in a press release.
Meet the new trolls
The arrival of “Trolls: A Field Study” at the parks makes them the first locations in the Pacific Northwest to host the traveling exhibition. Like Dambo’s other large-scale art installations, the dozen trolls featured in this interactive outdoor experience are made from fallen branches, scrap wood, pallets, twigs and other natural materials.
Eight will be tucked into the forests and natural surroundings of Northwest Trek, a 725-acre wildlife park dedicated to conservation, education and connecting people with native Northwest wildlife. The remaining four will add extra awe to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s many exhibits that allow visitors to see and learn about nearly 300 wildlife species. The trolls stand between seven and nine feet tall.
Just like the original oversized sculptures, the new trolls have their own personalities and stories to tell. Led by Taks — one of the 12 trolls — who organized the group as part of a field study after he “noticed increasing signs of human waste and environmental damage.” The trolls are on a mission “to study humans and better understand the strange, creative and complicated world we’ve built.”
“Trolls: A Field Study” is accompanied by a book that “captures the adventures from the trolls’ perspective” and shares the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
An interactive, educational experience
For families, visiting the fanciful trolls at these two sister parks is a reason to rediscover a favorite local attraction or be introduced to a new one.
Remember, these trolls are on field study, and we’re their subjects. Take, for example, Wilde, one of the Northwest Trek trolls, who is busy taking observational notes in her oversized notebook. Lilnut and Birch each have tools to make scientific observations: a net and a ruler, respectively. Before visiting, discover each troll’s area of expertise and learn about the role they play in the group.
Families are encouraged to interact with the trolls. Get a hug from Boge, climb under Bignut’s trap and see if you can outrun Lilnut’s net. However, climbing on the trolls is not recommended, but posing for lots of postable pictures is.
“Trolls: A Field Study” is included with regular park admission. Families can expect to see the trolls from the paved, ADA and stroller-accessible pathways at Northwest Trek. One troll is located in the Free-Roam area and should be visible on the tram tour; another is just off the unpaved Nature Trail. At Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, all four trolls will be visible from paved pathways.
