Tell my kids we’re going to look a sculptures outside and Easton would probably start whining instantly. But hand them a map and tell them we’re going on a troll hunt … well, that’s a game changer.
The trolls at the Morton Arboretum are a new exhibit that opened in June, a series of six colossal sculptures by Danish artist Thomas Dambo that are scattered throughout the Arboretum grounds. Once you’re there, you can’t miss them: Each one is 15 to 30 feet tall, and the largest is 60 feet long; all made of reclaimed wood.
The Troll Hunt had been on our summer bucket list but kept getting pushed off in favor of other warm-weather-only activities. The cooler weather this past weekend was the perfect day to embark on our troll hunt at last and hey, it’s technically still summer until September 21!
I’ll be honest: It’s been me dragging my feet on this particular expedition. After our Starved Rock adventure, I wasn’t too keen to go hiking with kids again anytime soon, even at the generally safe, accessible and kid-friendly Morton Arboretum. The aesthetic of the trolls isn’t my favorite either. So I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this afternoon adventure more than I expected to.
Where:
Morton Arboretum
4100 S Illinois Route 53
Lisle, IL 60532
Get directions
Plan your visit: http://www.mortonarb.org
Make the most of your visit with these tips:
DO: Consider lying to your kids and telling them there are fewer than 6 trolls to find. 😂 Maybe only 3! Or 4! I’m somewhat kidding, but somewhat not. We looked at the Troll Hunt map and Easton proudly counted that there were 7 spots to visit (6 trolls and 1 troll hideout). After we made it to 5 trolls and the hideout, I was really ready to call it a day. But he was adamant that we weren’t leaving until we saw that very last troll. When we missed the parking lot for the last one and had to drive the entire East Loop circle again (at 10 mph) to get there, I was cursing all the trolls under my breath.
DON’T: Plan to hike the entire troll hunt unless you’re leaving your kids at home. One friend went with her adult daughter and they walked 6 miles to see them all. Another friend hiked 8 miles in pursuit of the trolls. In short, it’s a lot of walking, and if you are bringing kids with you, plan to drive your car from location to location and then walk from the nearest parking lot. You’ll still get plenty of time outside in the natural beauty of the Arboretum, and the number of meltdowns will be significantly reduced. Note: Buckling and unbuckling your two kids from their car seats six different times in three hours is a whole different physical and mental challenge, and not one I particularly care to repeat anytime soon. But it is what it is, and driving was an absolute necessity with my 5-year-old and 2-year-old.
DO: Bring a stroller for little legs. Or maybe I should reword this as: DON’T: Carry your heavy toddler on your hip all the way from the car up the steep hill to see Joe the Guardian and then back down again. Your back will hurt the next day and you might wonder if you have a kidney stone (True story. It’s not a kidney stone, just a pulled muscle, folks. Whoops.). The trolls’ distance from the closest parking lots range from 10 feet to 3/4 mile, and the paths are a variety of materials (woodchips, paved, grass). There’s nothing our Double BOB can’t take on, and it would have been perfect on this terrain. Live and learn and pull a muscle while you’re learning, or take it from me: If you’ve got the under-5 crew, bring your stroller. Your back will thank you.
DON’T: Skip the troll hideout. (It’s located on the West Side, near Parking Lot 27 or 29.) The troll hideout was the second on our quest, and it was the favorite for all of us. It’s perfectly set up for kids to climb and play and explore, with a cauldron and a trap and a cage and all kinds of troll-sized accessories. It also got the kids excited about continuing the troll hunt because it was more interactive than just viewing the giant troll statues. The enormous spear and axe were my boys’ favorites, no surprise.
DO: Start on the West side. You’ll get two trolls plus the troll hideout on the West side, and the hikes to get to these three are very accessible. The first troll you come to is only about 100 yards from the parking lot. The second one (the troll hideout) is a bit more of a hike, up a moderate hill, but it will give you plenty of the “hiking experience” you’re envisioning in your mind. The third troll again is only about 200 yards from the parking lot, in a wide-open field for your kids to run free without worry. After you do these three, assess how everyone is doing and plan your next steps.
Joe the Guardian (the troll on top of the hill that you can see from I-88, on the East side) is cool and the view from the top of the hill is spectacular, but if your kids are already whining and tired, this might be one to skip or defer to another troll hunting expedition.
DON’T: Wear sandals. Put everyone in socks and gym shoes because you’re going to be doing a lot of walking. Even seeing the trolls the way we did, driving between each location, my Apple Watch clocked more than 3 miles of hiking, and my total steps for the day were more than 15,000 when all was said and done.
DO: Allow about three hours if you are planning to see all the trolls. And do recognize that everyone else is at the Arboretum to see the trolls too, and everyone else wants a picture of their kids with each troll. There was a little bit of a Disney World character feel to it, where you waited in line for your turn for an individual picture. Because of this, it takes a bit of time to get through each stop, even toward the end when your kids aren’t really engaged in seeing yet another giant wooden troll.
DON’T: Plan to do anything else at the Arboretum that day unless you are truly planning to spend an entire day there (and pack the appropriate copious amounts of food required for entire days out with your kids). By the time we saw the last troll, we were all tired and hungry and not a single one of us wanted to make one last stop in the Children’s Garden. We were ready to go home and watch some Netflix — me included.
DO: Pause to take a close-up look at the craftsmanship of the trolls. I had no idea they were constructed of so many small pieces of individual wood, all meticulously nailed together. The artistry is something to appreciate, and I tried my hardest to keep my kids from climbing on them as the signs requested. (“Please hug, not climb.”) Because they are made of all reclaimed wood and natural materials, the elements will eventually take their toll and these sculptures will start to weather and break down, ultimately returning to the earth. The Arboretum notes that the trolls will be on display through 2018, and may be accessible into 2019 depending on weathering.
I didn’t want to be the parent who let her kids contribute to a quicker demise for these creations, but keeping my boys off was a challenge when so many other kids were climbing too. Nevertheless, it provided a a perfect teachable moment for my kids: respect for nature, ecology, art, and rules all at the same time.
Did you hunt down all the trolls yet? Which one was your favorite? Let me know with #NeverDoneWithFun!
