It was a gloriously warm, sunny day at the end of summer when we went in search of Trolls at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. These trolls weren’t the nasty kind that invade the internet but the ones that hide in the woods. As you will see, we found six of them and saw some other interesting sights along the way.
It would appear that these trolls are not exactly friendly creatures as we soon realized when we came across this car crushed beneath a huge boulder. The perpetrator, a character named Rocky Bardur, was standing just a few yards away.
We came across a whole host of monarch butterflies among the flowers outside the visitor center after which we managed to creep up on troll number two, Sneaky Socks Alexa, who was waiting to spring a deadly trap.
Further along the path, a heron seemed to be pointing the way to Joe the Guardian who was standing on a hill overlooking the expressway.
I must say that going on this Troll Hunt encouraged us to take paths that we have never trodden before, giving us the opportunity to see familiar scenes from a different perspective.
I’m not sure if troll number four found us or we found her. Furry Ema certainly looked like she was up to no good.
Walking across Daffodil Glade, we saw a tree that looked as though a troll had breathed on it. And it wasn’t too long before we came across number five, Niels Bragger, lurking in the woods.
Little Arturs was easy to spot. He was taking a break in Bobolink Meadow. These 15 to 60 foot giants were created from recycled wood by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, and he has done a fantastic job! The Arboretum hopes to keep them on display through to 2019 depending on how they weather. It will be interesting to see how they stand up to a Chicago-style winter..
The Nature of Things 
Don’t know why but I pictured these creatures to be about the size of gnomes, hidden away in the underbrush. These things are huge. What a fun installation, especially given the season!
I wasn’t expecting them to be quite so large either, Deb. They were really impressive! I hope they survive the winter.
I bet they will Sue, and have a nice weathered patina to their troll bodies come next spring! They are a little too clean and neat right now…because they are TROLLS after all 😉
Thanks for sharing these photos, I’ve never seen anything like these trolls.. they are really dramatic! 🙂
You’re most welcome! They are quite a sight. Very creative, when you get up close and see all the work that must be involved in putting them together.
You will find one sleeping in my bed. He says he is my husband but I don’t know….😁
Haha! Nice one, Kerry!
😁
Those trolls are fantastic. Looks like a lot of fun.
Definitely worth a second trip, maybe when the wood has had a chance to weather.
Wonderful pictures of the trolls. I hope that they survive the winters because they look magnificent.
Thanks, Tom! They may take on a whole different look once they’ve weathered a bit. There certainly was a lot of work that went into making them and we overheard one of the Arboretum people telling some visitors that the artist was very specific about where he wanted the sculptures placed.
I didn’t know about trolls! 😀
Monarch is royal!!
Thanks, Indira! Although we went specifically to see the trolls, the butterflies were a nice bonus.
Wow.
Exactly! Thanks for visiting.
Fantastic – the setting, the photos and, of course, the trolls.
Thank you! It was an ideal setting for these giants. They needed plenty of space.
Trollific! Such a brilliant artist and his creations add to the beautiful setting. Love all the photos.
Thanks, Marianne! The Arboretum always has such brilliant sculpture displays and this one was one of the most awesome!
Wow! How amazing these are.
They are pretty cool, aren’t they! Hopefully I get to see them again if I go back to the Arboretum for the autumn colors.
Wow! the trolls are awesome! Love them!
It would be interesting to see them at twilight. You could almost imagine them coming to life.
Ooooh, I’d love to photograph them at sunrise in honor of Bilbo, the hobbit!
Yes! Wouldn’t that be something!
Yikes! you found them!
Yes! Thanks to well-posted signs. Considering the trolls were so huge, some of them were well hidden.
Good to know they were made with recycled materials. Very creative. 🙂
I wonder if they’ll be able to recycle the recycled materials after these giants have served their purpose.
What a fascinating walk!
Thanks for visiting, Regina!
Oh wow that was not what I expected to see! So creative and fun!
Thanks for visiting, Vanessa! These giant figures certainly surprised us. I wasn’t expecting to see anything quite so large.
Love the artwork in your photos. Very striking.
Pat
Thanks, Pat! This display was certainly worth a second look and I hope to get back there before the weather changes. It might even look good in the snow.