Thomas Dambo’s Trolls at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago

Have you ever heard of the Forgotten Tree Giants of Copenhagen? Finding these 6 trolls in the outskirts of Copenhagen was my first experience with the wonderful trolls of woodworker, Thomas Dambo. Living in Denmark made that troll hunt a bit easier for us, since there are many trolls here. But, did you know that Thomas Dambo has made trolls all over the world?

One country that has many trolls from Thomas Dambo is the United States. When we were visiting northern Illinois during the summer of 2019, we knew that we had to find these trolls! After some research, we found 6 more trolls at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago, Illinois (USA) and decided to go on a troll hunt to see if we could find them all.

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Hunt for Thomas Dambo’s Trolls in Chicago

Thomas Dambo’s trolls are are so unique. I absolutely love what Thomas Dambo does with recycled wood in Denmark, and I knew that he wouldn’t disappoint with his “American” trolls. Thomas Dambo’s message of taking care of the trees and forests of the world also really connects well with the message of the Morton Arboretum.

The tree trolls were spread out within the grounds of the arboretum, but they weren’t as easy to see. They were hiding! Luckily for us, we picked up a “troll-hunt map” near the visitor’s center, so we knew just where to look.

Temporary Exhibit / Visit of the Tree Trolls of North America

Just as the life span of a tree troll is unknown, so it the time they will be at the Morton Arboretum. From what I have heard, tree trolls are nomadic creatures, so the chances of you finding them in the same place years later may be pretty slim. This means that if you go to the Morton Arboretum today, you may not seem them there. Just so you know!

What else is there to do at the Morton Arboretum? Learn more HERE!

Troll Hunt by Car, Foot or Bike

The hot, summer sun was really heating up, so we decided to check out the trolls by car. We, of course, still had a bit of walking to do to find them within the trees, but at least we didn’t have to walk the 6-mile course to find them in 90 (f) / 33 (c) degree temperatures after we had already spent 3 hours walking and playing at the arboretum.

Seriously, we weren’t lazy! Honest!

If you are wondering what else there is to do at the Morton Arboretum, check out all of these great attractions.

Meet the 6 Tree Trolls at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago

Joe the Guardian is looking for you

The first of the tree trolls that we found was actually Joe the Guardian. He could be seen from the highway as we were driving to the arboretum. If anything could get us excited to visit the Morton Arboretum, it would have been the sight of that wooden figure off the side of a busy highway!

Are you looking for family fun in northern Illinois? Check out the Burpee Museum in Rockford, IL.

You could have also hiked up to his hill from inside the arboretum, but we chose against it. Again, we weren’t lazy…just melting!

Side note: The Morton Arboretum would be fabulous to visit in the fall. Not only would the tree foliage be beautiful, but the temperatures would also be much more comfortable.

Rocky Bardur, perhaps the scariest of Thomas Dambo’s trolls in Chicago

We stumbled upon Rocky Bardur when we were looking for LEGO sculptures because he was located near the Meadow Lake. He was a bit scary, since he looked ready to attach. He even had smashed a car with a very large boulder that he threw in his anger.

See all the cool LEGO sculptures they had that summer at the Morton Arboretum HERE!

This was something we weren’t used to, since the tree giants of Denmark are very laid-back! 😉

Sneaky Socks Alexa, the trickiest of the trolls

The third of the trolls was probably my favorite. HIs name as Sneaky Socks Alexa. Perhaps he was a she, but it was very hard to tell.

It didn’t quite matter, because I think I liked her mostly because she was laying on her belly getting ready to drop a trap on something (or someone)! I thought that this very clever, and the boys loved trying to test their luck by climbing in the trap.

Little Arturs, the laziest of the trolls

The other three trolls were equally as interesting as they were memorable. Little Arturs was probably the biggest of them all, and you could climb in his mouth. My boys absolutely loved that idea.

They were used to climbing on the trolls in Denmark, but it was discouraged at the Morton Arboretum. Instead, they suggested that we hug the trolls instead. Can you imagine hugging a troll!? 

Niels Bragger, the bravest of the trolls

Niels Bragger looked very upset and held a club firmly in his wooden hand. If I could ever be intimidated by a tree troll, it would have to be by Niels! LOOK OUT!!

Furry Ema, the troll most likely to play with you

The last of the trolls was Furry Ema. She also seemed to be getting a trap ready, but for what, I’m not sure. I really liked looking at her feet. It was just amazing the skill it took to create such impressive creatures. They all seemed real.

Each troll had a sign stating his/her name and also had a clue that you would write in your troll-hunt handbook. This was used to find the troll hideout. I’m not sure if it was the combination of heat and mosquitoes or if we just forgot about it, but we didn’t find the troll hideout. Bummer!

Overall Thoughts on Thomas Dambo’s Trolls in Chicago

We love everything Thomas Dambo creates, and it isn’t because he is from our home country of Denmark. Though he may be extremely talented, I specifically loved how Thomas chose such a fantastic arboretum for his trolls to visit.

Morton Arboretum is all about showing visitors the very best in trees, so it only seems suitable for some of the most impressive creatures who are made from recycled trees to be on the grounds. It is just a shame that they couldn’t live there forever!

Weren’t these neat trolls? They were so amazing!! Which one did you like the best? Let me know in the comments below! 

Learn More about Thomas Dambo’s Tree Trolls

Thomas Dambo’s Website: https://thomasdambo.com/

Forgotten Tree Trolls in Copenhagen (part 1): HERE

Forgotten Tree Trolls in Copenhagen (part 2): HERE

Tree Trolls of Central Denmark: HERE

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