Photo: JAMES BROOKS / AFP / Getty Images
(Iowa) -- Iowa is now home to several towering wooden troll sculptures, joining nearly 200 installations created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. His work has become a global phenomenon, with giant troll sculptures hidden in unexpected locations across the world.
“I think when people come and find my trolls in places like Elk Horn, Iowa, they discover a real piece of Iowa they never would have seen otherwise,” Dambo said. “That’s what makes it so appealing.”
One of the newest additions is the 25-foot-tall Fjord Ferryman, now on display at the Museum of Danish America, in Elk Horn. The sculpture symbolizes the migration of Danish settlers to the Midwestern prairies in the late 1800s and highlights the region’s strong Danish heritage.
“It’s standing in a big wooden boat, about 40 feet long, with a large oar,” Dambo said. “It looks like it’s pushing itself across the prairie, sailing through the rolling hills of Iowa.”
All of Dambo’s sculptures are built entirely from recycled materials, a defining element of his work. With the help of thousands of volunteers, Dambo has installed trolls across nearly 26 U.S. states as part of his 50 States, Trolls of America project, which aims to inspire adventure, promote recycling, and build civic pride.
Community volunteers play a key role in each build, collecting reclaimed wood, sticks, and other salvaged materials, making every sculpture a true community effort.
“It’s a really unique project, to make the whole world my giant recycled museum,” Dambo said. “It’s built with volunteers and carries a message that our trash can be our future, rather than something that suffocates our planet.”
Several additional troll sculptures are also planned in Clinton, Iowa, including one currently under construction inside an abandoned train depot.
Dambo says he intentionally chooses locations meant to surprise people, adding an element of fairy tale and mystery. His trolls can be found in forests, along rivers, and in open fields across six continents, turning the installations into a global scavenger hunt. An estimated five million people search for the trolls each year.
Iowa’s trolls are expected to become a growing and unexpected attraction across the state.