Trolls: A Field Study by Thomas Dambo

In the 434-acre North Carolina Arboretum, Danish artist Thomas Dambo has hidden 12 towering troll sculptures along garden paths and forest trails for “Trolls: A Field Study”, the U.S. premiere of this whimsical traveling exhibition. The show runs from November 15, 2025, through February 17, 2026.

Each seven-to-nine-foot-tall figure was constructed from fallen branches, wooden pallets, and reclaimed wood, some salvaged from trees felled by Hurricane Helene, lending poignant significance to an installation in a community still recovering. Visitors can grab a treasure map at the Baker Visitor Center and hunt for characters like Taks, the fearless net-bearing leader; Valle, who naps in the gardens; Bignut, whose stick cage invites visitors to crawl inside; and Poppy, who examines discarded cell phones she calls “pocket stars.”

Six trolls inhabit wheelchair-accessible formal gardens, while six more hide along the Natural Garden Trail’s mulched, winding paths, expect moderate hiking. Dambo, born in 1979 in Odense, Denmark, holds a master’s degree in Interactive Design and has installed more than 170 trolls across 20 countries as part of his “Trail of a Thousand Trolls” project. His mission: proving that “recycled goods can be turned into something beautiful.” The artist, who calls himself “The Trash Artist,” creates heads, hands, and feet in Copenhagen before shipping them worldwide to be assembled with local volunteers.

Admission is included with the $20 parking fee (no advance tickets required). The arboretum opens daily, closing only on Christmas. Public troll tours depart Fridays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.