A dozen new Thomas Dambo trolls are about to turn up in Pierce County. TROLLS: A Field Study opens October 15, 2026, and runs through January 24, 2027, at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma. It is a traveling outdoor exhibition, and these two parks are the first in the Pacific Northwest to host it.

If you have been waiting for a reason to go troll hunting this fall, this is it. Here is what to know before you go, and how this exhibit connects to the permanent troll coming to Stanwood-Camano.

At a glance

• What: TROLLS: A Field Study, 12 troll sculptures by Thomas Dambo
• When: October 15, 2026, to January 24, 2027
• Where: Eight trolls at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville, four at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma
• Cost: Included with general admission or membership at either park
• Size: Each troll stands 7 to 9 feet tall

Where to find them

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Eatonville. Eight of the trolls live here, spread along wooded trails and in natural habitat areas. Some are easy to spot from the main path. Others sit just off it, so take your time. The park is also home to a 435-acre free-roaming area where bison, elk and other native wildlife wander, toured by tram. Check Northwest Trek's trolls page for hours and tickets.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Tacoma. The other four trolls are tucked into the zoo's grounds. See the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium page for hours and tickets before you go.

Seeing all twelve means visiting both parks. They are about an hour apart by car, so many families will split them into two outings.

The story behind the exhibit

TROLLS: A Field Study was created by Thomas Dambo with the exhibition producer Imagine. The premise is that the trolls have come to study humans and try to make sense of the odd, creative and complicated world we have built. The group is led by a troll named Taks.

Like all of Dambo's trolls, these are built from reclaimed materials such as fallen branches, scrap wood, pallets and twigs, and each one has its own personality and story. Before Washington, the exhibit appeared at the North Carolina Arboretum and at South Coast Botanic Garden in California.

Dambo has said he hopes families and friends will get outside and play a game of finding trolls, and maybe take something away from what they learn along the way. His larger point is about waste: he has said the work is less about the trolls than about keeping the world from drowning in trash.

Traveling trolls and permanent trolls

This exhibit is temporary. It leaves in late January. Washington also has five permanent Dambo trolls from the 2023 project Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King, with a sixth in Portland, Oregon:

• Pia the Peacekeeper, Sakai Park, Bainbridge Island
• Oscar the Bird King, Point Robinson Park, Vashon Island
• Jakob Two Trees, Issaquah
• Bruun Idun, Lincoln Park, West Seattle
• Frankie Feetsplinters, National Nordic Museum, Ballard
• Ole Bolle, Nordic Northwest, Portland, Oregon

The Washington Trails Association has a guide to visiting the Washington trolls, and Geocaching runs a free Northwest Trolls Adventure Lab that leads you to each one. Dambo's full list of trolls worldwide is on trollmap.com.

Stanwood-Camano is working to join that list with a permanent troll of its own.

Plan a troll road trip

From Stanwood-Camano, the Pierce County parks make a full day trip south. Ballard's Frankie Feetsplinters and West Seattle's Bruun Idun are close to I-5 and easy to add on the way, and the Bainbridge and Vashon trolls pair well with a ferry ride. If you want all of them, plan for more than one weekend.

Troll-hunting tips

• Check park hours and tickets before you leave. Both parks set their own schedules, and winter hours are shorter.
• Go early on weekends, when paths fill up.
• Dress for the trail. Fall and winter in the Northwest mean rain and mud, and many trolls sit on forest paths.
• Stay on marked trails, take your trash with you, and be a good neighbor near any troll site.
• Bring the kids. The hunt is half the fun.

Stanwood-Camano is next

Thomas Dambo has signed on to create a permanent troll for Stanwood-Camano. He visits in mid-October 2026 to walk the proposed site, design work runs through the end of the year, and the troll is scheduled to be built in October 2027. The community has raised $215,000 toward a $600,000 goal.

If you are planning a troll road trip this fall, we hope Stanwood-Camano becomes a stop on that route soon. Learn more or donate at stanwoodcamanotroll.com.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a separate ticket to see the trolls?

No. The trolls are included with general admission or membership at Northwest Trek and at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Each park sells its own tickets.

How long is the exhibit open?

October 15, 2026, through January 24, 2027.

How many trolls are at each park?

Eight at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville and four at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma.

How big are the trolls?

They stand between 7 and 9 feet tall.

Is the Stanwood-Camano Troll part of this exhibit?

No. TROLLS: A Field Study is a temporary traveling show. The Stanwood-Camano Troll will be a permanent sculpture, designed by Dambo for our community and built here in October 2027.

Where can I find every Dambo troll?

Thomas Dambo keeps a map of his trolls worldwide at trollmap.com.

How can I help bring a troll to Stanwood-Camano?

Donate online, volunteer, or offer reclaimed wood at stanwoodcamanotroll.com.

This community project is fiscally sponsored by the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Tax ID #91-6036846. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

Sources: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium; Visit Rainier; KIRO 7; Tacoma News Tribune / TNS; National Nordic Museum; Associated Press.