Discover Charlotte's Thomas Dambo Troll
Charlotte has just welcomed a new kind of landmark.
by Cassie Townsend
“Big Pete with Big Feet,” one of a family of seven larger-than-life troll sculptures across scattered across North Carolina, crafted from natural and reclaimed materials by internationally acclaimed “recycle-art activist” Thomas Dambo, has taken up residence in the Queen City’s River District.
The arrival of Dambo’s trolls marks the artist’s largest U.S. installation to date, and it’s already generating global buzz. Visitors from around the world are expected to travel to North Carolina to discover these whimsical giants and the stories they tell.
All seven trolls are part of Dambo’s “Grandmother Tree” family of trolls, with five located in Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park, one in High Point and one in Charlotte. Together, they form a connected narrative about nature, imagination and community.
Charlotte’s troll will also appear on Dambo’s global Trollmap, joining more than 150 trolls across five continents, inviting explorers to step off the beaten path and reconnect with the natural world.
Dambo’s journey began in 2014 with his first troll, Hector the Protector, in Puerto Rico. Since then, he has transformed salvaged pallets, discarded wood and other overlooked materials into monumental sculptures that celebrate creativity, sustainability and play. His work reminds us that what’s often thrown away can become something extraordinary.
Each host site is carefully chosen for its alignment with Dambo’s philosophy: that creativity, community and care for the planet can not only coexist but thrive in shared public spaces. By welcoming its new troll, Charlotte invites residents and visitors alike to explore the city’s growing mix of green and urban landscapes in a fresh, playful and unexpected way. Ready to meet Charlotte’s newest gentle giant? Make your way to the River District to experience Thomas Dambo’s awe-inspiring craftsmanship up close.
BIG PETE by Thomas Dambo
This story, one I once was told, is about a troll named Pete,
And since he was just three years old, he walked on two big feet.
He leaped across the river deep and up the mountain steep,
But without something bittersweet, this story’s incomplete.
Pete, he was in love with everything around his feet—
The flowers in the peat moss, roses, daisies, and the weeds.
But every step he moved his feet, his heart would skip a beat,
’Cause every step he took, he crushed the flowers underneath.
So Pete, he stopped to wonder at a heap of blooming buckwheat,
And wished his feet were more petite—he grieved them so gigantic.
He wondered, should he take a seat and slowly fall asleep,
Or should he keep on walking, in the hope to spread their seed?
