The Webster ViridariumPublic Gardens | Garden Centers and Farm Markets | Gardening Organizations | Thomas Dambo's Trolls
Filmmaker Kirsten Dirksen, recently posted this wonderful behind the scenes interview with Thomas Dambo. Like all her videos, its well worth a look.
Thomas Dambo is a remarkable Danish artist who well known for his large troll sculptures which are made from recycled materials. His trolls can be found throughout the world, often at botanical gardens and nature centers. Dambo has thus far created close to 200 trolls that can roughly be found on his trollmap website. Dambo wants to make finding his sculptures a bit of fun, so the locations are intentionally vague. Searching for his trolls has inspired some to plan their vacations around known troll locations.
Thomas Dambo – Roskva
Thomas Dambo – Birk
Thomas Dambo – Lilya
Thomas Dambo
Gro – Guardians of the seeds
Lilya – Guardians of the seeds
Birk – Guardians of the seeds
Roskva – Guardians of the seeds
Soeren – Guardians of the seeds
The sculptures above are located at the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay, Maine. We were lucky enough to be there shortly after the sculptures were installed in 2021.
Wouldn’t it be fabulous to have one of Thomas Dambo’s sculptures at the Webster Arboretum?
Trolls in the news
The Trolls are coming to New York! The exhibition, TROLLS: Save the Humans will be at The W!ld Center in Tupper Lake from June 1, 2026 to October 31, 2026. There will be 6 trolls on display throughout the W!ld Center grounds.
Exhibit history
- World Premiere (2023): Debuted at the Atlanta Botanical Garden from February 18 to September 17, 2023.
- South Coast Botanic Garden (2023–2024): Hosted the exhibit in late 2023 and early 2024. This location later transitioned to a new Dambo exhibit, “A Field Study,” in March 2025.
- Philadelphia Zoo (Spring 2024): Displayed the six young trolls starting in April 2024.
- Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (2024): On display in Nashville, TN, from May through September 1, 2024.
- Virginia Aquarium (2024–2025): Exhibited in Virginia Beach from September 13, 2024, to January 20, 2025.
- Memphis Botanic Garden (2025): Ran from February 1 to May 21, 2025.
- Filoli Historic House & Garden (2025): Displayed in Woodside, CA, from June through early November 2025.
- Currently on display at the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska until May 18, 2026
- Upcoming – The W!ld Center (2026): Scheduled to open in the Adirondacks from June 1 to October 31, 2026.
One of Thomas Dambo’s most recent installations is titled “TROLLS: A Field Study”.
The exhibit is on display at the North Carolina Arboretum through February 17, 2026.
From March of 2026 until October, the exhibit will be in California at the South Coast Botanic Garden
Mrs. Skipper is one of three recent sculptures on display in Rhode Island. Check the Trollmap for more information.
Farewell to Joen
Joen and the Giant Beetle was a popular fixture of Wynwood Walls outdoor museum in Miami until the last days of 2025, when the sculpture was alas removed.
