Entry No. 51 — the Des Moines file — filed under: troll-sculpture
Fjord Færgemand (Dambo Troll)
A 25-foot wooden troll standing in a boat with an oar carved from a downed tree, built from reclaimed materials by Danish artist Thomas Dambo and unveiled in April 2026. It's hidden in the prairie landscape behind the Museum of Danish America.
The story
If you pull into Elk Horn expecting only immaculate manicured lawns and tidy Scandinavian flags, keep walking past the main hall of the Museum of Danish America and slip straight into the tallgrass. Looming out of the 30-acre Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park is Fjord Færgemand—a 25-foot troll constructed entirely out of scrap wood and salvaged timber by Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo. Unveiled in April 2026, the giant stands planted in a wooden boat, gripping an oar carved from a fallen tree like he just rowed straight out of Nordic myth into rural Iowa.
Dambo doesn't build these behemoths behind velvet ropes; his team uses reclaimed pallets, local branches, and neighborhood volunteers to tuck giant folklore directly into public land. 'Færgemand' translates to 'The Ferryman,' meant in troll lore to haul little humans across hidden waters. It’s an improbably weird piece of interactive public art hidden just a short hop north of Interstate 80—and if you don't know to walk behind the museum, you'd miss it entirely.
What it's like
You'll park in the museum lot and trade pavement for mown prairie grass on a three-to-five-minute walk back into the park—skip the dress shoes, because the ground gets uneven. The payoff is immediate: you can walk right up to the 25-foot sculpture, step into the wooden boat, and pose beside the massive tree-limb oar. The 30-acre prairie is open from dawn to dusk every day regardless of whether the museum building is open, though anyone needing mobility support can pop into the museum's front desk before heading out.
The move: Find the hidden troll, climb into the boat to pose with it, then duck into the Museum of Danish America to trace the town's immigrant roots.
📍 Before you go Park at the Museum of Danish America and walk three to five minutes into the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park behind it — the route shifts from pavement to uneven mown prairie paths, so skip the dress shoes. The 30-acre recreated tallgrass prairie is open dawn to dusk independent of the museum building, and anyone needing mobility assistance can check in at the museum's front desk. Elk Horn is a short hop north of I-80 exit 54; pair the troll with the town's 1848 Danish windmill on Main Street, the only authentic working Danish windmill in America.
- 📍 Elk Horn
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 2212 Washington St., Elk Horn, IA 51531
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Iowa Star Party at Whiterock Conservancy — Head 26 miles north after dark to swap Scandinavian tallgrass lore for some of the darkest night skies in Iowa.
- Harmon Tunnel at Pammel State Park — Pair this reclaimed wooden giant with another Iowa engineering oddity: a hand-dug 1858 limestone auto tunnel an hour southeast.
- Clark Tower — Keep the fairytale architectural theme going in Winterset by hiking to a 25-foot medieval-style limestone castle tower tucked in the woods.
Good to know
Where exactly is the troll located in Elk Horn?
Fjord Færgemand is hidden in the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park directly behind the Museum of Danish America at 2212 Washington St.
Do I need a museum ticket to see the sculpture?
No, the 30-acre prairie park is free to access and open daily from dawn until dusk, completely independent of the museum building.
Is the trail accessible for visitors with limited mobility?
The route transitions from a paved path to mown prairie paths with uneven ground; anyone needing mobility assistance can check in at the museum's front desk.
What else should I see while visiting the area?
Trace the town's immigrant history inside the museum, then drive down to Main Street to see the 1848 Danish Windmill—the only authentic working Danish windmill in America.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: danishmuseum.org · iowapublicradio.org · whoradio.iheart.com · Facebook
last checked: 2026-06-09