Giant trolls are turning up across the country. Will PA’s first be in Centre County?
Picture this: You’re enjoying a warm, sunny day in Happy Valley, walking through the flowers at The Arboretum at Penn State or enjoying a shady stroll up Musser Gap, when suddenly you stumble upon a massive, wooden troll.
That’s a unique reality that Centre County residents could face in the near future, if My Creative Community founder Spud Marshall and a growing group of troll enthusiasts get their wishes fulfilled.
The giant trolls in question are constructed by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, who’s erected 33 of the creatures across the United States already, with more than 100 more to be found around the globe.
The trolls are built from trash and thrown-away goods, and according to Dambo’s website, his goal is to take repurposed and recycled goods and turn them into works of art.
Each troll is made out of previously discarded wood that’s then used to build the sculptures, which can vary in height from 5 to 15 feet tall.
Dambo told the Washington Post earlier this month that he plans on building trolls to “surprise people,” in every state — and Marshall is fully on board. While still in its early stages, the effort to bring a troll (or trolls) to Centre County is off to a strong start, he said.
“Pennsylvania is one of the states that doesn’t have a troll yet, so I was thinking ‘why can’t Centre County be home to Pennsylvania’s first troll?’” Marshall said. “I recently visited some of Dambo’s trolls for the first time in Seattle and from the moment I set eyes on them I knew that Centre County would be the perfect spot for to build some of those things.”
After arriving home from Seattle, Marshall contacted Dambo and his team. The artist’s crew expressed interest in the project, and they gave Marshall information about what steps to take next, asking him to reach back out once a more solid plan for the project was in place.
Given that the funds are raised — the cost could be anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000 to see at least one troll built here — Marshall tentatively estimates the summer of 2026 to be when Dambo would come to Centre County to construct the statue.
On July 21, Marshall held a “Potluck Brainstorm,” or an event to help think of things needed to move forward with the project. A second one of the brainstorming sessions will likely be held in August.
While a lot productive groundwork was discussed at the initial brainstorm, there’s still a lot that needs to be done to bring the troll to Centre County.
“The idea of getting Dambo to build a troll like this in Centre County is very, very early in its progress, but at the same time it’s a very real possibility too,” Marshall said. “We’d need to get the funding for it, then work with the community to determine where we might like to see it go up. I’d really love to see different entities work together on that part of it, because we already have a lot of interest from various organizations about where we could put a troll — or two or three — here in Happy Valley.”
That’s right — Marshall is hoping that as many as three trolls could be built at various locations across Centre County, but for now he shared a few places where a troll might find an ideal home. The Arboretum at Penn State, Rhoneymeade, Musser Gap and Harvest Fields are all potential locations, but that list could be subject to change over time depending on what future brainstorm sessions reveal.
All that Marshall is hoping for right now though is to get at least one troll in Centre County, and cooperation among interested entities when deciding where to put the troll.
“The options for where we could put a troll right now are near endless,” Marshall said. “We’ve got a ton of people interested right now from a few different entities, but we haven’t really even begun to seriously look at where we could put one of these. I’d like to direct everyone’s attention toward attaining funding first, then we all can look together for where we could put one. The less division or fighting for locations, the better.”
Amy Dupain Vashaw, the audience and program development director at the Penn State Center for the Performing Arts, has been working closely with Marshall and also loves the idea of a troll in Happy Valley.
“I am SO excited at the possibility of bringing a Thomas Dambo troll to our area to spread joy, positivity and draw people outside to enjoy it,” Vashaw wrote in an email. “The charming, quirky nature of the trolls seems like the perfect fit for our area.”
Leah Struble, a former State College resident, also shared a photo with Marshall of a Dambo troll in Colorado, with a sign that she placed in front of it expressing Happy Valley’s love for trolls.
Those looking to join the mission to bring a Thomas Dambo troll to Centre County can visit the Happy Valley Troll website, happyvalleytroll.com, to join a Google Group for updates on future brainstorm sessions, or the project itself.
