Visit Thomas Dambo’s Trolls at the NC Arboretum
Quick! Book a winter getaway to Asheville or the surrounding area and make sure you plan a stop by the NC Arboretum. Thomas Dambo’s Trolls: A Field Study is at the NC Arboretum through February 17th and they are SO fun.
We went for New Year’s so that we could also see the Winter Lights exhibit which was SO good. Definitely mark this down as a to do during the holidays next winter!
Find all 12 trolls!
These trolls are so fun & interactive. It is definitely worth taking your time and making sure you find all 12 trolls. 6 of them are super accessible (and were the ones included in the Winter Lights) and 6 are a little further out on the trails, but an easy and enjoyable walk allows you to see them all.
Our favorites were the one that holds you:
The ones that can capture you:
And the one that was playing with rocks:
But to be fair, all of them were amazing. I also thought the clipboard drawing on this one was hilarious. You’ll have to visit to find out what’s being drawn!
Visiting the NC Arboretum
The NC Arboretum itself is a great place to visit and we’ll definitely be back. It’s super accessible because you just pay for parking – no additional entrance fee. For a family of 6, this is a dream!
There are so many beautiful areas to explore in the Arboretum, and we’d love to go back when things are in bloom this spring. During our troll hunt we took a longer walk than we meant to, but thoroughly enjoyed the trails in addition to seeing the trolls. The kids (six of them, ages 7-12) also loved “The Woods” play area.
Quick Tip – Don’t forget to stop by the front desk on your way in and get a Troll passport! Our kids loved checking off the trolls they had seen and answering the questions or riddles included.
Fun stops nearby…
Black Mountain (where we stayed this trip) deserves it’s own post, but we have a few favorite stops right near the Arboretum, too.
White Labs Brewing – great beer, as expected. The brussel sprouts & the pizza were the real stars, though. There is also plenty of parking (which can be hard to find in Asheville!) and great outdoor and inside space.
The Hop – our favorite Asheville ice cream! Holy moly the banana nutella with hot fudge on top is a DREAM. I also hear the chocolate orange is incredible, but I can’t personally attest to that as I can’t bring myself to skip the banana nutella.
I am also a sucker for finding fun playgrounds and outdoor stops, and Mountainside Park did not disappoint. Great playground, right near a track & football stadium and public bathrooms were open!
There are so many other things to see and do in and around the Asheville area, but we’d highly recommend a day trip or quick weekend visit to see these trolls before they leave next month!
Clearly we love Thomas Dambo Trolls….
