Thomas Dambo is a Danish artist who builds giant trolls out of recycled and repurposed wood, much of it found locally. He made his first troll in 2014. By May 2026 there were almost 200 of them in 19 countries, and he and his team were building about 25 a year, the Associated Press reported.
Where the trolls are
Most stand in forests, parks and gardens, often half hidden so that finding them becomes part of the visit. There are clusters in Denmark, across the United States, in South Korea, China, Belgium and elsewhere. The tallest is Long Leif in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, at 13 metres. Together, the trolls draw an estimated five million visitors a year.
Dambo publishes a Troll Map on his website that shows every troll and how to reach it. Many come with a poem or riddle carved on a nearby stone.
The 2020 Danish troll hunt
In the summer of 2020, during the pandemic, Dambo spent six months building ten trolls hidden across Denmark, between seven and 18 metres tall. The idea was a nationwide treasure hunt that people could do outdoors and at a distance from each other. Visitors can climb on many of the sculptures, and plants are left to grow over them.
First museum show
Dambo’s first museum exhibition, The Garbage Man, is on at the Arken museum in Ishøj, south of Copenhagen, until 29 November 2026.
The essentials
- Artist: Thomas Dambo, Denmark
- Trolls: almost 200, in 19 countries (May 2026)
- First troll: 2014
- Tallest: Long Leif, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 13 metres
- Exhibition: The Garbage Man, Arken, Ishøj, until 29 November 2026
- Troll Map: thomasdambo.com