Victor Troll - Atlas Obscura
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Victor Troll

Cripple Creek, Colorado

Meet Rita the Rock Planter, one of Danish sculptor Thomas Dambo's enormous wooden trolls. 

Victor troll sculpture View all photos
Rita just wants to repair the surrounding landscape.
Victor troll sculpture
Rita just wants to repair the surrounding landscape.
Rita the Rock Planter sculpture
Rita the Rock Planter is one of more than 100 troll sculptures.
Volunteers building troll sculpture
Volunteers worked together to build the Victor troll.
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Danish artist Thomas Dambo is on a mission to populate the world with gentle giants. Rita the Rock Planter, a benevolent creature made entirely of recycled wood, is his 119th troll sculpture. Currently, his mythical creations reside in 17 different countries around the world. 

Rita the Rock Planter, who was unveiled on August 4, 2023, can be found near an old 19th-century gold mine. According to the sculptor, the kindly troll noticed all of the holes in the ground and worried about humans or small creatures falling into them. She can be seen patching up the Earth, presumably as a symbolic representation of the damage humans have caused to their natural environment. 

While Rita the Rock Planter may be an unusual sight, she’s not alone in Colorado. Isak Heartstone, also known as the Breckenridge Troll, is another such fantastical being in the state. Troll-hunters and fans of Danbo’s work should visit Trollmap.com for the locations of the others.

Know Before You Go

Rita the Rock Planter is free to visit and open to the public.

trolls environment public art sculptures
Community Contributors
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Added by
emileemoyer1993
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breaingram
Edited by
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Published
August 22, 2023
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