Giant Troll Sculptures Coming To Philadelphia Zoo Next Month

PHILADELPHIA — Some new creatures are coming to the Philadelphia Zoo next month.

On Feb. 1, the zoo will feature Thomas Dambo’s TROLLS: Save the Humans.

TROLLS is bringing six, folklore-inspired Trolls using repurposed wood to the zoo through April 15.

The troll sculptures, ranging up to 15 feet tall, will be located throughout the zoo’s 42-acre campus.

Admission to the zoo gets patrons access to see the sculptures.

Admission ranges between $19 to $25 for adults and children and is free for zoo members. Tickets are available online here. To accompany this exhibit, guests are encouraged to bring their old Zoo Keys (or purchase one at any of the zoo’s retail locations) to hear stories from the trolls themselves.

"As the region’s foremost conservation and education destination, we are excited to welcome these enormous Trolls to the Zoo and have them help us tell the story of how we can all make a difference for the planet," Philadelphia Zoo Director of Marketing Patrick McMaster said. "Thomas Dambo’s Trolls can be found around the world in some of the most beautiful places in nature, and we’re honored to have the Zoo be their next destination."

Thomas Dambo lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark and has a personal mission is to create art that inspires people to explore, have adventures in nature, and show that recycled goods can be turned into something beautiful.

Dambo's colossal troll sculptures range in height from 16 to 50 feet and "live" as permanent or semi-permanent installations in parks, greenspaces, industrial parks, and in other site-specific locations around the world.

Each folklore-inspired sculpture is imbued with expression and character and is built entirely from reclaimed materials. Driven by a mission to inspire people to explore our relationship with the planet, many of Dambo’s works have an associated folk tale written by Dambo himself that address the complex problem of our world in a fun and approachable way.

Each with a unique name and story, the Trolls believe rethinking how we live our daily lives will help save the planet for all animals, including humans, and they want to share their ideas. They want all humans to reduce trash, reuse everything, and recycle when they can. The Trolls believe that these actions and others to protect wildlife and wild places are important steps to help save the planet for all animals, including humans.

The six TROLLS coming to Philadelphia Zoo will include:

Ronja Redeye
The Trolls’ fearless leader ready to welcome guests to Philadelphia Zoo. Her mission is to encourage guests to rethink ways to minimize trash.

Rosa Sunfinger
The Troll with a green thumb. She wants guests to find ways to renew the habitats around them and plant native plants wherever they can to create habitats for pollinators.

Sofus Lotus
The Troll who loves to listen. He likes to get down on the ground to hear the sounds of all wild things. His mission is to inspire guests to reconnect and learn from nature.

Ibbi Pip
The Troll in charge of finding new uses for old things. Her passion is reusing old wood to create bird houses, providing a home for these animals to feel safe and raise their chicks.

Kamma Can
The Troll who’s a pro at recycling. She created her beautiful jewelry from plastic that would otherwise pollute wild places.

Basse Buller
The Troll who refuses to give up on protecting the planet. He’s on a mission to motivate guests to refuse the habits humans have that hurt nature.