If you’re a fan of Thomas Dambo and his whimsical, recycled trolls, put North Carolina on the short list of states to visit. For those unfamiliar with Thomas Dambo, he’s a sought-after Danish artist who upcycles wood into inspiring, mythical wood trolls, hiding in public spaces. His recent additions include some magical trolls hiding amongst the trees of Raleigh’s Dix Park!
As part of the rapid expansion and build-out of Dix Park, they were able to commission Thomas Dambo for a family of five trolls that are part of the Grandmother Tree story. The trolls were built by a team of artists and over 300 local volunteers from the Raleigh area. I had gotten notice of this exciting volunteer project, but as you can guess, the spots filled up in minutes as volunteer slots were released. In November of 2025, the Dix Park Dambo trolls were officially unveiled to the public in a fun, family celebration, complete with a troll map to find them.
The first Dambo troll is, of course, the matriarch of the family: Mother Long Tail! Sleeping peacefully on her side, Mother Long Tail needs her rest, caring for three rambunctious troll children. Her tail unwinds and undulates behind her, leading you to her first child.
Standing quietly behind Mother Long Tail is her first troll child, the namesake of the park, Dix! This young troll sits quietly and curiously behind his mother with her long tail wrapped around him for safety. Holding his mother’s tail in one hand, Dix is adorned with a wooden medallion complete with a secret inscription. His short, tousled, wood branch hair sits neatly atop his head perched over his calm face, hello Dix!
Next up is Dax, the wild and spunky troll child! Running across the forest floor, his arms are outstretched and he’s built for speed. The mischievous, open-mouthed grin confirms a bias towards action, and his large ears wave jauntily through the air. I guess you can think of Dax as the fun one of the bunch!
Dux is the third child, the playful and thoughtful one. Standing upright with his hands over his eyes, a game of peek-a-boo has started, and you better run and hide! But watch out, he’s peeking over his right-hand fingers, and some may consider that cheating. Or maybe he’s just a clever one.
And finally, the last of the Dix Park Dambo trolls: Daddy Bird Eye! Resting in the shade of a large oak tree and holding a large staff, Daddy Bird Eye keeps a close watch on the Raleigh skyline from this section of Dix Park. He’s serious and alert, scanning the horizon and keeping watch over his troll family.
For each Dix Park troll, you’ll find a marker with the name and number for each family member. And don’t forget to explore the rest of Dix Park as you hunt down your Dambo Trolls. There’s plenty to do here beyond the trolls (Gipson Play Plaza, House of Many Porches). Continue the search for the rest of the North Carolina Dambo trolls in Charlotte and High Point where you can find Big Pete and Little Sally! With 170 Dambo Trolls around the world, you can find 4% of them, right here in the state of North Carolina. Use the official Dambo Troll map for your next adventure! Five down, 165 more to go…
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