Aullwood Audobon

Visit the Giant Trolls at Aullwood Audubon in Dayton, Ohio

Trolls That Hatched an Egg exhibit Anne Goss Sibcy Cline

It was a beautiful Sunday and we decided to visit “trolls” at the nearby Aullwood Audubon and Nature Center near the Stillwater River in Butler Township, Ohio. There are four troll exhibits: Bo, Bodil, Bibbi and their nest.

The troll exhibits are HUGE and the day we went was a picture-perfect day to see them! They are located along the trails and easy short hikes. Normally, you could park at either the nature center and walk to the farm (or vice versa) but currently the trail that connects the farm and the nature center is closed for maintenance. So, we parked at the nature center and found two trolls. Then we went to the farm and found the remaining two. Of course, we also saw the farm animals – and they have a new calf! 

A little bit about the artist per the Aullwood website: “Thomas Dambo is from Copenhagen, Denmark and is the world’s leading recycle artist. Thomas has been helping giant trolls come to life around the world for over 10 years. He worked with a team of local volunteers as well as members of his artistic team to prepare for the trolls’ arrival at Aullwood using locally sourced materials to create the sculptures.

“Everything I make I try to make out of things laying around. This way I can build really big things with a very small footprint or impact,” says Dambo. (He) hopes that his trolls bring people into nature to explore. He also wants people see how scraps and garbage can be recycled into something meaningful and beautiful. He designs the trolls and writes the stories that explain who they are and what they’re doing. Learn more about Thomas Dambo and his work.

This was definitely worth the trip! #WorthTheDrive

The farm is located at 9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton, OH 45414 (Aullwood’s Charity A. Kreuger Farm Discovery Center) and the nature center is at 1000 Aullwood Road (Aullwood’s Marie S. Aull Education Center.) Check the website for admission prices.