Arts & Entertainment Community
Day Tripper | Trolling the animals
Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park has been high on my list of places to visit for a very long time. I’m not really sure why I was putting it off — perhaps it’s so close (just 10 miles away) that it really didn’t feel like a day trip. But there are so many things to do there, surely it qualifies.
Or maybe it seemed to me like it was way more appropriate for Tonya and the Two in Tow crew. That’s just silly! There’s plenty of room for both of us, and there are lots of things for kids of every generation to appreciate.
The entrance to Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park. Photo by Mary Williams
Point Defiance Park has myriad attractions that everyone can appreciate. First and foremost are the zoo and aquarium. And now, with four famous guests in residence, it’s finally time for me to check it out.
Trolls
I have loved the Dambo Trolls since I met Portland’s Ole Bole and his sister Pia the Peacekeeper (who resides on Bainbridge Island) in August 2023. Four other trolls in the Way of the Bird King series arrived in the Puget Sound soon after. We met them three years ago this month.
When I heard that Parks Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo and Northwest Trek were going to be hosting Thomas Dambo’s “Trolls: A Field Study,” I knew I needed to visit them and share my experiences. Particularly when there are so many other things to do and see while I was there.
When I first heard about the trolls in 2023, between 20 and 30 of them were scattered across the country, including six here in the PNW. Gig Harbor Now was among the first to introduce them to our community. Slowly but surely, their adorableness caught on. They have become something of a phenomenon, with more than 200 dotting the national landscape and many more in the planning stages.
Trolls: A Field Study is an outdoor art exhibition featuring 12 large folklore-inspired trolls built from reclaimed and recycled materials like fallen branches, scrap wood and twigs. For the next few months, four of the trolls will live at Point Defiance Zoo. The other eight are guests at Northwest Trek near Eatonville. Both locations are part of the Tacoma Parks Department.
The best article I’ve found anywhere about Tacoma Parks and A Field Study is on the Oly Arts website. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read this excellent story by Molly Gilmore.
A Field Study
Created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, the exhibits tell the story of young, 7- to 9-foot trolls who venture into the human world to conduct a “field study” of human habits and observe our relationship with nature. Dambo says he conceived the trolls (named Taks, Valle, Wilde, Birch, Anja, Poppi, Bignut, Boge, Lilnut, Hasse, Kirse and Larke) in the hope that they will encourage us to go outside, explore natural green spaces and reflect on sustainability, recycling and environmental stewardship.
Jacob Two-Trees of Issaquah, Frankie Feetsplinter of Ballard and the other trolls in the Bird King series are permanent structures. The Field Study trolls are travelers. They recently summered at South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes, Calif. They will remain in Pierce County until Jan. 24, 2027.
This week, I’ll be investigating the investigators and observing what they’re observing: That is, how much Point Defiance offers for us humans to see and do.
I’ve been in Gig Harbor for 30-plus years, but somehow I’d never been to the zoo. I’m not anti-zoo — I’ve been to the San Diego Zoo dozens of times and to Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo a few times. I’ve even been to Northwest Trek a half-dozen times. But never to the zoo.
PDZA
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium (PDZA) sits within 700-acre Point Defiance Park, offering spectacular views of Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Parks Tacoma, the oldest independent park district in Washington, operates PDZA.
PDZA is relatively small, at just 29 acres. For comparison, Woodland Park is 92 acres and the San Diego Zoo is 100 acres.
But Point Defiance packs a lot into that small footprint, and it’s worth more than a single visit. I decided to buy an annual pass for $150, instead of a day pass for $25 (if purchased online) or $32 (if purchased at the gate).
I’ve learned the hard way that buying a season pass isn’t always the right call. But the zoo is only about 10 miles away from Gig Harbor and parking there is free.
I have to go back five or six times this year to make the annual pass pay off. I’m sure I will, if for no other reason than it’s a great place to get in an aerobic walk. Heck, it took me three visits just to do the research for this story.
Boge and ET
I met the first of the trolls, Boge, near the front gate. She is waiting for you with her arms outstretched ready to offer a welcoming hug.
Boge is the first troll you’ll encounter as you approach the PDZA gate. Photo by Mary Williams
Her hair is made of material from beech trees. At 8-feet-2 and 1,300 pounds, she is actually among the smallest of the investigators. Dambo says she represents human openness and connection. Her job is to watch how people solve problems and explore ways humans and trolls can work together.
One of PDZA’s several bronze sculptures awaits just outside the gate. This one memorializes ET, a giant walrus who lived at the zoo for 33 years. He arrived there as an orphan in 1982 and died in 2015. He was memorialized because of his famous flipper wave and endearing vocalizations.
This sculpture pays tribute to ET, a giant walrus that lived at PDZA for 33 years. Photo by Mary Williams
Pick up a copy of the map and the Troll Trail Guide at the ticket office. They will help you stay oriented as you move through the PDZA. In the meantime, here’s a map that will allow you to plan ahead.
A zoo with a view
Once through the gates, you’ll want to check out the zoo’s gift shop featuring animals (read: lots of stuffies) and ecological items. You’ll also find typical gift shop fare like books, clothes, a smattering of toys and an assortment of sustainably sourced snacks.
A ramp leads down to another bronze sculpture, The Family.
The Family, a sculpture at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Photo by Mary Williams
Once you’ve frolicked on the grass with The Family (or maybe watched some kids do it), take a minute and appreciate the amazing view. In front of you is a panorama of the zoo sweeping down to the water with an incredible view of the Sound. Off to your right, on a clear day, is a stunning view of Mt. Rainier.
The mountain was definitely out on this day. Photo by Mary Williams
ZOOm-ing right along
Now that you’ve got your bearings and have appreciated this beautiful environment, it’s time to get serious about the zoo. PDZA is home to more than 9,000 animals representing more than 400 species (even more if you include the marine life in the two aquariums). It is the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. Established in 1905, the facility attracts about 700,000 visitors a year.
Take the path that leads to the right. If you’ve got kiddos with you, or if you just love carousels, the Paul Titus Carousel is straight ahead.
The Paul Titus Carousel at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Photo by Mary Williams
Just a bit further is the Café, a cafeteria-style facility with typical entertainment venue prices. The day I was there a basic burger cost $18 and a hot dog was $10. For just a brief moment, I thought I’d been transported to T-Mobile Park.
Continue on the path toward the Tropical Reef Aquarium (TRA). There you will find Birch, the second troll. Dambo says Birch studies trees and forests, especially how trees communicate through roots and soil. Birch is about human connection or disconnection from nature. He believes humans are beginning to understand that forests are communities. Birch is 8-foot-4 and 1,900 pounds. Predictably, his hair is made of birch.
Birch studies forests and trees. Photo by Mary Williams
Tropical Reef Aquarium
Tropical Reef, AKA “the old aquarium,” is one of two main aquarium facilities in the zoo. It opened in 1989 as the South Pacific Aquarium, closed for a $7 million restoration, and reopened in 2024. Features include a 300,000-gallon tank housing 18 sharks, a stingray beach and deep-sea cavern replicas. This is an area where you can get a close look at anemone ponds.
The Tropical Reef Aquarium at Point Defiance. Photo by Mary Williams
As you leave the aquarium, circle around to the right side of the building, where you’ll find the Asian Forest Sanctuary. The sanctuary features an assortment of big cats, including clouded leopards. The path will take you down a hill and past the Discovery Hut and the penguins. You’ll come to an overlook, with the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater at the bottom of a gulch.
PDZA’s Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. Photo by Mary Williams
Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater is home to interactive animal shows featuring natural behaviors, keeper talks, and rotating animal ambassadors. The theater hosts daily shows at 11:30 a.m., with a 2:30 p.m. show on weekends.
Pacfic Seas Aquarium
Next up is the “new” aquarium, Pacific Seas Aquarium.
Fish dangle from the ceiling at one entrance to the Pacific Seas Aquarium at Point Defiance. Photo by Mary Williams
Inhabitants include green sea turtles, nurse sharks and majestic eagle rays. Wander down the ramps to find jellies, crabs and tropical fish. Keep descending and you’ll come to Pacific Coast habitats from cold Northwest to tropical Baja California. There is some amazing art and a jelly globe. Be sure to check out the turtles and eagle rays.
A jelly globe inside the Pacific Seas Aquarium. Photo by Mary Williams
On the troll trail
As you exit the aquarium on the lower level, you’ll see a short path leading to Rocky Shores. Just before Rocky Shores, be on the lookout for Larke, the third troll.
Larke wears a trash bin as a mask. Photo by Mary Williams
Dambo says Larke is known as the “Mask Troll” because she wears a real human trash bin on her head like a mask, which is inspired by the waste humans leave behind. Her unique, stylish hat is meant to reflect human individuality and fashion. Larke is known as a gentle observer. She takes her time watching the weather, birds and changing seasons to remind her fellow trolls that nature moves in its own patient cycles and cannot be rushed.
Stay on the path and meander through Rocky Shores (otters, seals, and walruses), to the Arctic Tundra (arctic foxes and polar bears) and up to the Red Wolf Woods. These areas surround the picnic pavilion where tables are available if you chose a much less expensive option and bring your own lunch.
Packing a lunch and eating in the picnic pavilion will save you from an $18 hamburger. Photo by Mary Williams
The last of our trolls, Poppy, sits between the Arctic Tundra and Red Wolf Woods. Known as the “Bait Troll,” Dambo says Poppy holds discarded phones in her hands to lure in human curiosity, while hiding a net behind her back. She stands 8 feet tall, weighs 1,900 pounds and features hair made from white poplar trees.
Poppy lures people in with a handful of mobile phones. Photo by Mary Williams
Another short, uphill walk leads you back to the center of the zoo, where you can begin your climb back up to the exit and parking area.
As we’ve walked through the zoo, it’s been hard not to notice the many twinkle lights already woven through trees and around stumps even though it’s only October.
Zoolights
The lights are already being installed because electricians, carpenters, plumbers and custodial teams face a multi-week setup for Zoolights, the zoo’s annual holiday light tradition and primary fundraiser.
Apparently, it takes a while to install over 1.5 million LED lights.
PDZA is already preparing for Zoolights. Photo by Mary Williams
Setup requires assembling and testing massive, intricate structures like a 24,000-light, 100-foot-wide giant Pacific octopus and the historic 30,030-light Flame Tree. Getting everything hung, wired and tested well before the opening date in late November takes several weeks.
This year, Zoolights runs from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Nov. 27 through Jan. 3. If the family pup(s) want to join the festivities, Dog Nights at Zoolights are Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and Jan. 3.
I’m certain that our observers, Boge, Birch, Poppy and Larke are a bit apprehensive about the arrival of hundreds of equally inquisitive dogs.
Visiting Zoolights is another thing I’ve never done that I’m really looking forward to. I promise I’ll report back. I’m really interested in seeing how four wood trolls and all those dogs get along. I guess the trolls aren’t the only ones who can conduct a field study.
Next month, we will hunt down Boge, Poppy, Birch and Larke’s siblings at Northwest Trek. Besides exploring Northwest Trek, we will investigate the town of Eatonville, another place I’ve never been. I can hardly wait.
About the Day Tripper column
Gas prices are sky high, and a night in a hotel is approaching astronomically expensive. So, for the foreseeable future, I imagine many of you are going to find yourselves taking day trips rather than the road trip vacations we’ve grown to love.
This beautiful region in which we live is ripe with opportunities to explore new places, see new things, and learn a little something at the same time. I promise to keep the longest journeys to a one-way distance of under 200 miles. Whether you want to make it an overnight trip, a weekend, or just a very long day trip, we should be able to pull it off.
I hope you’ll grant me the honor of your virtual company as we travel these roads together. Happy trails!