Pierce County’s forests already have the moss, the enormous trees, and the occasional suspiciously expressive stump. This fall, they’re getting actual trolls. Twelve of them. Apparently, word got out about the accommodations.
TROLLS: A Field Study, by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, arrives at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville October 15, 2026–January 24, 2027. Built from reclaimed wood, branches, pallets, and twigs, these oversized characters have come to study humans. Consider your visit a cultural exchange, with considerably more rain jackets.
Look closely at the scraps that became a face, a hand, or a wonderfully unruly head of hair. That transformation is part of the appeal: ordinary discarded materials become characters worth planning a trip around. Bring your curiosity along for the weekend.
Thomas Dambo at work. This photo and the troll group photo above are sourced from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Sculptures by Thomas Dambo.
How to see the trolls
You’ll find four trolls at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and eight at Northwest Trek. The exhibit is included with each park’s general admission or applicable membership. Plan admission for both locations; seeing one collection doesn’t cover entry to the other. Parking is free at both.
Start with the parks’ official exhibit pages for tickets, maps, and current visiting information. Check operating days and hours for your chosen dates before booking your overnight stay, particularly later in the season. Give each park its own day if you can. Twelve trolls plus two collections of living, breathing animals deserve more than a stopwatch itinerary.
At Northwest Trek, include the admission-covered tram tour: Valle, the sleepy troll, is in the Free-Roaming Area. Most trolls are visible from accessible paved paths, but one is along an unpaved Nature Trail with roots, uneven ground, and a gentle slope. Review the park’s accessibility guidance when planning your route.
Bring layers, a rain shell, and shoes suited to wet paths. Photos and gentle touches are welcome; climbing and standing on the sculptures aren’t. These are visiting artists’ creations, even when they look like exceptionally tempting playground equipment.
Where to stay overnight
For a waterfront base, book Silver Cloud Hotel Tacoma at Point Ruston Waterfront. The setting puts shorefront strolling and dining into the same easy evening, with Copper & Salt Northwest Kitchen inside the hotel. Spend your first day at the zoo, settle in by the water, then head toward Eatonville the following morning.
Prefer to wake up in a small town? Mill Village Motel, on Center Street in Eatonville, makes a practical base for Northwest Trek and a wander through town. Its rooms include refrigerators and microwaves, useful when traveling with children whose meal schedules bear little relationship to yours. Compare these with other Pierce County lodging options and reserve for your travel dates.
Give the trolls some company
At Point Defiance, leave time for the Pacific Seas Aquarium and the zoo’s animal habitats. Follow your visit with a waterfront walk around Point Ruston, then dinner. There’s no prize for fitting every attraction into one afternoon. There is, however, something to be said for sitting down.
At Northwest Trek, the tram also offers opportunities to watch native wildlife, including bison and elk. Keep your camera ready, but let the animals set the pace. Afterward, head into Eatonville for Mill Haus Cider Co., where the seasonal food menu, craft cider, and gathering spaces offer a comfortable landing after a day outside.
The trolls supply the invitation. The rest of the weekend is yours: saltwater, forest paths, a warm meal, and a bed you don’t have to drive home to reach. Just remember that while you’re studying the trolls, they may be taking notes, too.
