Keep on Trekking: Burlington County Troll Trek Exhibition Extended Indefinitely

Burlington County’s trolls are sticking around.

The Burlington County Commissioners announced this week (March 4, 2025) that Troll Trek, the popular outdoor exhibit featuring troll sculptures created from recycled and natural materials, will remain part of Burlington County’s landscape for the foreseeable future.

“Burlington County is a fantastic place to live so it’s no surprise that all the trolls have decided to remain here,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “We are excited that the artists and sponsors of this unique art exhibit have agreed to keep the trolls on display so residents and visitors can continue to search them out and enjoy them.”

The Troll Trek exhibition was organized by the Burlington County Commissioners and Burlington County Parks System and consists of 19 troll statues in various outdoor locations throughout Burlington County. It was inspired by Big Rusty, a large troll created by world renown artist Thomas Dambo at the site of Hainesport’s future Creek Turn Park. Like Big Rusty, each troll is made from recycled or natural materials.

The exhibit began in September and was expected to end on December 31^st last year but was extended indefinitely at the request of residents, municipalities and sponsors.

“Troll Trek’s success has well exceeded our expectations, attracting visitors to Burlington County’s parks and downtowns while also inspiring others to create their own trolls from recycled materials,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, the liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “This is a great example of how art can impact our communities, and it reinforces our Board’s commitment to supporting artists and helping to share their creations.”

All 19 trolls are still in their original locations, including Dambo’s Big Rusty in Hainesport; however, two trolls currently in Historic Smithville Park – Gracie the Gardener and Troll on a Stroll – are expected to move this spring to new locations at Pennington Park in Delanco and Amico Island Park in Delran.

“Pennington and Amico Island are two of our most scenic parks and will be great locations for these trolls to take up residence,” said Eckel. “We’re excited to create opportunities for residents looking for the trolls to discover additional County parks.”

In addition to those planned moves, one of the Troll Trek artists has created a second troll that’s now on display in Bordentown City. The new troll, named Iris, was created by John Cannon as a companion to his original troll statue, named Edward. Both can be found outside Boyd’s Pharmacy at 118 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown.

The locations of all 19 trolls (including GPS coordinates) can be found on an online map posted on the Burlington County Troll Trek page: https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/2076/Troll-Trek-2024. The map will be updated when trolls move.

There are also several more art exhibits ongoing at Burlington County Parks galleries located at Smithville Park and in Mount Holly, along with several art classes for various ages. You can find information about them and hundreds more County programs, events and activities in the Burlington County Parks Spring Program guide. The 40-page guide is available online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/235/Parks.

Commissioners Celebrate Arrival of New Trolls Throughout Burlington County

Burlington County has some new residents, and they’re more than a bit troll-ish.

But don’t be alarmed, these trolls are quite friendly. Like their troll pal Big Rusty – Burlington County’s original troll inhabitant – they are here to enjoy the scenic parks, bustling downtowns, and incredible outdoor destinations that make Burlington County such a wonderful place to live or visit.  They are also helping to spread a message about the importance of recycling, sustainability, and the power of imagination.

The trolls are part of Burlington County Troll Trek, a new public art exhibition organized by the Burlington County Commissioners and the Burlington County Parks System. The exhibition was inspired by Big Rusty, the large troll created by world-renowned artist Thomas Dambo at the site of Hainesport’s future Creek Turn Park. And like Big Rusty, each of the 18 new trolls is made largely from recycled and natural materials. They can now be found in locations throughout the county.

Burlington County kicked off this whimsical exhibition Saturday evening during the Arts After Dark festival at Historic Smithville Park, where two of the new trolls were unveiled. A new map detailing the locations of all 18 trolls (including GPS coordinates) was also released during the ceremony. Additional copies will be distributed by the Burlington County Parks System at future parks events, and the map can also be found online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/2076/Troll-Trek-2024 . 

“Troll Trek was created to honor and thank Thomas Dambo for selecting Burlington County as the home of one of his famous trolls,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “To do that, we decided to bring Big Rusty some troll friends. Now that they have arrived, we hope residents will visit each of them and marvel at the creativity of these artists. We also hope the trolls make people think more about protecting our natural environment and reimagine what we toss out as trash.” 

The new trolls were made by 16 artists and teams of artists selected from dozens of submissions made in response to a Burlington County Parks System prospectus. Each artist or team was awarded a $500 stipend to help cover the cost of materials and installation expenses.

The trolls,  and their creators are: 

• “Big Rusty, created by Thomas Dambo
• “Gracie the Garden Troll, created by Norma and John Neimeister.
• “Troll on a Stroll. created by KT Carney.
• “Retlaw, created by Julie Park and Adam Pietras.
• “Bucket Head Bobby, created by Lowell Doerr.
• “Weft, created by Cassie Jones.
• “Woody, created by Jason Brown.
• “Pipsqueak, created by Maya Sorhage.
• “Melinda, created by Jennifer Hildebrand.
• “Flora, created by Carmen and Eduardo Jimenez.
• “Sally McScraps, created by Marc Tous, Fred Poinsett and Steven Thorpe.
• “Noelle the Troll, created by Marc Tous, Fred Poinsett and Steven Thorpe.
• “Hagatha, created by Jason Miller.
• “Visser, created by Peter Bieling.
• “The Art Troll, created by Michael Kane. (Retired)
• “Rily the Abilities Troll, created by Julie Deluccy.
• “Edward and his Trollmate, both created by John Canon.
• “Kevin, created by Meg and Miles Simon
• “Tommy the Tetanus Troll, created by Marc Tous, Fred Poinsett, and Steven Thorpe.

The stipends and other costs related to the exhibition are funded by the Burlington County Commissioners and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts with support from the following co-sponsors: Mill Race Village, Main Street Mount Holly, Rancocas Valley High School Environmental Club, Rancocas Nature Center, Township of Lumberton, Delanco Environmental Advisory Board,  and Delanco Recreation Commission, Arts Guild New Jersey, Rising Sun Counseling Service, Bordentown City Environmental Commission,, and Springfield Township.

The troll locations were selected by the Burlington County Parks System and co-sponsors.

“We’re excited to welcome these new additions to our county and the attention they are generating for our parks, downtowns, and communities,” said Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, the liaison to the Burlington County Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “Each troll is unique, and we look forward to seeing them all and having them inspire more people to create and take an interest in the arts.”

Visitors are encouraged to take “selfies” and other photos with the troll and post them on the Troll Trek Facebook event page @Troll Trek Launch @ Arts After Dark. Visitors are asked not to climb on the trolls, and any vandalism of the trolls or their surroundings will not be tolerated.

Most of the trolls are expected to remain on display at their current locations through April 2025, when several will be on the move. Find updates on their new locations here.