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Danish environmental artist Thomas Dambo created Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King, a 2023 public-art project of six giant, hand-built wooden trolls installed at sites around Puget Sound and in Portland. Scan Design Foundation managed the collaboration, with grants from Scan Design Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation helping fund it. The installations were designed as free public experiences, but their original hosting commitment was for at least three years; current installation status should be confirmed before making a trip.
Where were the Northwest Trolls installed?
The 2023 exhibition placed six sculptures at six locations: five in the Puget Sound area and one in Portland. The sites were West Seattle, Ballard, Issaquah, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island, and Portland. The project’s visitor guides and map information identify the locations and provide access details; the available project information does not establish whether every troll is still installed in 2026.
- West Seattle: Bruun Idun.
- Ballard: one of the six project locations; a troll name is not stated here.
- Issaquah: Jakob Two Trees.
- Bainbridge Island: one of the six project locations; a troll name is not stated here.
- Vashon Island: Oscar the Bird King, at Point Robinson Park.
- Portland: Ole Bolle, on the Nordic Northwest campus.
Visiting Vashon’s Oscar the Bird King
Point Robinson Park requires ferry travel to Vashon Island. The project’s visitor guide describes a walk of less than 0.5 miles from the upper parking lot to the troll and includes parking, trail, and ferry information. Check current ferry and park details before setting out.
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Are the 2023 trolls free to visit?
The six installations were designed as publicly accessible experiences with no admission fee. That describes the original exhibition’s format, not a guarantee that every site remains accessible or that conditions have not changed. The Allen Family Philanthropies announcement said each site was expected to host a troll for at least three years; it does not establish the present status of all six.
Who made them, and what are they made of?
Dambo’s team built the sculptures from structural wood, used pallets, and found decorations including shells, branches, stones, and other organic materials. The project turns discarded materials into large public artworks while telling stories rooted in Nordic folklore and local landscapes.
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The heads, hands, and feet were built by Dambo’s team in Denmark and shipped to the United States by container. The team then constructed the bodies on site with local volunteers. The official project FAQ estimates about 7–9 days to build one troll. All six installations were completed over seven weeks in summer 2023, with more than 200 volunteers involved across the project, according to Allen Family Philanthropies.
How does the project connect Nordic stories and Coast Salish communities?
Way of the Bird King draws on Dambo’s Danish and Scandinavian storytelling while connecting the sculptures to Coast Salish cultural communities, including collaboration with the Muckleshoot and Snoqualmie tribes. Its themes include watershed protection, riparian restoration, habitat stewardship, and reuse. The project is not simply a set of folklore figures: its stories and site-specific elements also point visitors toward relationships with local land and communities.
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Bruun Idun in West Seattle
The project’s official account says Muckleshoot artist Coyote carved a flute for Bruun Idun featuring killer whales. The flute represents a call for whales to return to the Salish Sea.
Jakob Two Trees in Issaquah
Ginger de los Angeles of the Snoqualmie Tribe gave Jakob Two Trees a cedar-bark hair tie, bracelets, and a necklace, according to the project’s official account.
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Ole Bolle in Portland
Nordic Northwest identifies Ole Bolle as part of the Northwest Nordic Troll Hunt and says he sits on its campus. A traditional Fogelbo, or “bird’s nest” house, was built there to lure him.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How was the exhibition funded?
Scan Design Foundation managed the collaboration. Grants from Scan Design Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation funded the exhibition in part. Additional sponsors named for the project included Alaska Air, Icelandair, the National Foundation for Danish America, Republic Services, and Re-Use Consulting.
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Is the 2026 Tacoma-area troll exhibition the same project?
No. TROLLS: A Field Study is a separate exhibition announced by Parks Tacoma. It is planned to feature 12 trolls at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville, produced with Imagine. The announcement schedules it to open October 15, 2026, and run “through Jan. 24,” without specifying the year for that closing date. Unlike the free 2023 installations, the 2026 exhibition directs visitors to ticket and reservation information. Its sculptures are described as using reclaimed branches, scrap wood, pallets, and twigs.
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