When you stroll the charming Mount Horeb downtown, you’ll quickly realize you have some very unusual company. Oversized carved trolls gaze on at passing shoppers and diners – you’ll see them just about everywhere you look in Mount Horeb. So why is this town filed with trolls? Read on to find out.
Mount Horeb is a town of about 7,700 people in Dane County. It’s about 35 miles west of Madison. It’s located in the ancestral land of the Ho-Chunk nation.
Google / Jim Ploch
European settlers arrived in the 1800s and some of the first residents of the area were lead miners. Significant numbers of Norwegian immigrants settled in Dane County and the village continues to embrace its Norwegian roots.
Google / Jim Ploch
In the 1970s, a Mount Horeb gift shop began decorating its lawn with troll sculptures that were imported from Norway. A tradition was born.
Google / Will Mutters
Eventually, more trolls appeared in front of shops and businesses and it became a big tourist attraction. They are now scattered all over downtown. One popular restaurant and pub is even called The Grumpy Troll.
Google / The Grumpy Troll
When the Wisconsin Department of Transportation built a bypass around Mount Horeb in the 1880s, truck drivers began referring to Mount Horeb’s downtown as “The Trollway.”
Google / Will Mutters
The Trollway includes Main Street and its surrounding streets – there are about two dozens trolls waiting to be discovered. They are carved from large pieces of wood and every one is unique. Pay them a visit!
Facebook / Mount Horeb, WI
To find the location of all the Mount Horeb trolls, check out the map on the Mount Horeb Chamber of Commerce website. If you enjoy visiting whimsical Wisconsin attractions, gas up your car and head to Fish Creek. You’ll love this Door County art gallery and sculpture garden
Google / Jim Ploch
Google / Will Mutters
Google / The Grumpy Troll
Facebook / Mount Horeb, WI
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Address: Mount Horeb, Mt Horeb, WI 53572, USA
