Giant Reclaimed Wood Trolls Installed in Raleigh, Spark Community Interest

On November 20, 2025, Danish artist Thomas Dambo and hundreds of volunteers assembled five large troll sculptures inside Raleighs 308 acre Dorothea Dix Park. The installation is part of a seven piece troll family placed across Raleigh, Charlotte and High Point, and was promoted with maps and a scavenger hunt to guide visitors to each site. Much of the reclaimed wood used in the Dix Park pieces came from Wake County sources, including two tobacco barns and donated fencing, and the mother troll includes a record setting 645 foot tail.

The project arrived with strong community involvement. Volunteers assembled the sculptures on site using reclaimed materials from the region, a process that foregrounded both sustainability and local labor. The Dix Park Conservancy confirmed the Wake County origin of much of the wood, linking the work to the counties agricultural and industrial history and to ongoing conversations about reuse and economic transition.

For Wake County residents the installation matters in several ways. Outdoor public art encourages visitation to green space, which public health research links to stress reduction, increased physical activity and social connection. The scavenger hunt format invites families and school groups to walk the park, which can support community mental health and informal learning about sustainability. The concurrent traveling baby trolls exhibit at The North Carolina Arboretum broadens access to the project across the region.

At the same time the surge in visitors brings practical challenges. Increased foot traffic will affect park maintenance and may require adjustments to signage, restroom access and mobility accommodations to ensure people of all abilities can participate. The use of reclaimed tobacco barns as material introduces a symbolic opportunity to discuss regional economic change, but also calls for inclusive programming so that benefits reach neighborhoods across Wake County, including communities that have historically faced barriers to park access.

The installation offers a moment to celebrate volunteerism and creative reuse, while prompting policy questions about funding for public space upkeep, equitable programming and long term stewardship of temporary artworks. As visitors seek the trolls with maps in hand, local leaders face the task of ensuring that the cultural and health benefits of the project are shared widely and sustainably.