12 giant trolls are coming to the Tacoma area this fall

If you’re headed to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park or Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium this fall, keep an eye out for some very large visitors.

Beginning Oct. 15, 12 larger-than-life trolls will be scattered across the two South Sound attractions. The sculptures will give visitors a new reason to explore the parks this fall as they search for all 12.

Where will you find the trolls?

The 12 trolls will be split between the two Parks Tacoma attractions.

Northwest Trek will have eight trolls, with sculptures placed along wooded paths and within the wildlife park’s larger natural setting.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will have four, tucked among its gardens, trails, and animal habitats.

The sculptures range from about 7 to 9 feet tall, so they should be hard to miss — although some are intentionally tucked into the landscape. At Northwest Trek, one troll will even be located in the Free-Roaming Area, where visitors can see it from the tram or certain tours.

What’s the story behind the trolls?

The exhibition follows a group of trolls who have arrived to study humans and figure out what makes us tick.

Taks, described as the group’s fearless leader, organizes the field study after noticing signs of human waste and environmental damage. The trolls observe everything from how people interact with nature to the things humans leave behind.

That gives the installation a little more substance than simply placing oversized sculptures around the parks. The project is also meant to get visitors thinking about sustainability, waste, and our relationship with the natural world.

What are the trolls made from?

Thomas Dambo’s trolls are primarily constructed from reclaimed materials, including scrap wood, fallen branches, pallets, and twigs.

Each sculpture has its own name, personality, and story. At Northwest Trek, visitors can meet characters including Taks, Anja, Wilde, Kirse, and Valle, while Point Defiance will be home to Boge, Larke, Poppy, and Birch.

The materials are part of the point. Dambo’s work often turns things that might otherwise be discarded into large-scale public art, encouraging people to look at familiar outdoor spaces — and the materials around them — a little differently.

When can you see them?

TROLLS: A Field Study opens Oct. 15 and runs through Jan. 24, 2027, at both Northwest Trek and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

There is no separate admission fee for the exhibit. The trolls are included with paid admission or membership to each park.

For locals, it also gives you a reason to revisit two familiar South Sound attractions this fall. And if you’re visiting the region, you can combine the troll hunt with Northwest Trek’s wildlife areas or Point Defiance’s zoo, aquarium, gardens, and trails.