Burlington County’s trolls are sticking around.
The Burlington County Commissioners announced this week 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 31st 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 with 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 can be found online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/235/Parks .