As summer fades and SoCal eases into fall, there are still plenty of reasons to spend an afternoon outdoors. And what better way to soak up some of the last traces of lush greenery than wandering through a botanical garden alongside a family of gigantic trolls?
TROLLS: A Field Study is currently hiding 12 enormous wooden creatures throughout South Coast Botanic Garden, turning its 87 acres into a giant troll hunt.
Meet the 12 giant trolls hiding at South Coast Botanic Garden
Created specifically for the installation, the 12 sculptures are part of a family called the Twelvelings. The story begins with Taks, the youngest sibling, who wandered into the human world and returned to tell his brothers and sisters about the strange things he saw. The family then set out on a field study to better understand humans.
The group includes Taks, Hasse, Poppy, Valle, Wilde, Larke, Birch, Kirse, Lilnut, Bignut, Anja, and Boge. Together, the sculptures weigh nearly 22,000 pounds, with most standing around eight feet tall. The tallest reach just over 8 feet, while Valle is the shortest at 5 feet.
The installation is free to visit with General Garden Admission, so there’s no separate exhibit ticket required. The Garden is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thomas Dambo, the man behind the trolls
The trolls were created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, whose monumental sculptures are primarily built from reclaimed wood and other recycled or repurposed materials. His work combines storytelling, nature and upcycling, often placing giant wooden figures in forests, parks and other outdoor spaces.
For A Field Study, Dambo transformed the familiar troll into a curious observer of humanity. The result is part art installation, part outdoor adventure, and part excuse to wander a little more slowly through the Garden before these particular trolls pack up and move on.
