How to See Ballard’s Giant Troll

Seattle’s newest troll is hard to miss. Chances are you’ve seen him from the road if you’ve been in the Ballard neighborhood recently. Frankie Feetsplinter stands like an unhinged door guard in front of the National Nordic Museum, in stark contrast with the clean lines and subdued grays of its Scandinavian design. He has mischief in his eyes and, sometimes, hapless humans in his grasp. Here is how to find Ballard’s giant troll and the best things to do nearby if you survive the encounter.

Frankie Feetsplinter

Know before you go

• It’s free to visit Ballard’s troll outside the Nordic Museum. To see the exhibits inside, you need to pay admission. You can visit Frankie even when the museum is closed.

• It’s okay to touch the troll but not to climb on him.

• Frankie is on a public sidewalk without barriers like steps. You can reach him with a stroller, walker, or wheelchair.

• Look for restrooms and a cafe inside the Nordic Museum.

• Like the other Pacific Northwest trolls, Frankie’s presence in Seattle is temporary. He’ll stay for at least three years after his construction in 2023.

The sidewalk leading to the troll looks almost like a forested path

Finding Ballard’s troll

 

Address: 2655 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107

Frankie Feetsplinter is the easiest to find of the Pacific Northwest trolls. He’s right outside Seattle’s National Nordic Museum in full view of the road. Here’s how to get there.

• If you drive, park in the back of the Nordic Museum. Parking is metered. It’s $2 for the first hour or $3.60 for two hours. There’s also limited free parking on the streets nearby.

• Walk or bike to the troll. There are sidewalks and a bike path along NW Market St.

• Take the bus. The troll is on lines 17 and 44. Line 40 will also get you within a few blocks.

• Use a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft.

Frankie Feetsplinter

Frankie Feetsplinter

In the heart of Ballard, Frankie Feetsplinter is unusual in preferring the city over the forest. It’s a good thing his fellow trolls are more reclusive. Frankie delights in his destructive power. Like the troll version of a mischievous younger brother, he’s wreaking havoc outside the Nordic Museum. A bench lies crushed under his giant foot. His grasping hands await slow-moving humans who venture too close. The landscaping around him looks like it’s living on borrowed time.

Frankie is the last of six trolls in Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s Way of the Bird King exhibit. The others live in West Seattle, Issaquah, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island, and Portland. His construction began on Vashon Island and ended with his assembly in Ballard. Like his fellow trolls, he is made of reclaimed trash. His body is mostly repurposed shipping pallets. Beyond his playfulness, Frankie carries a message of environmentalism. Rather than consuming more raw materials, we can make discarded things magical and new again.

National Nordic Museum

If you make it past the troll unscathed, you’ll see the Freya Cafe inside the Nordic Museum. The menu has Scandinavian-inspired snacks with ingredients like pickled herring, rye bread, and lingonberry. The drink list includes an aquavit selection alongside coffee, beer, and wine. I made the classic Millennial folly of ordering avocado toast. It was good, but, you know, almost $20 for a light lunch after tax and tip. We are powerless to resist it.

The toast

The best part of eating in the cafe is watching people interact with Frankie. Dog walkers, couples on dates, multigenerational families, solo tourists with cameras bulkier than mine, you name it, people love this troll. I waited so long to get photos without other visitors that I sent my friends ahead. Then, I gave up, got lunch, and tried again. You may notice some creative framing in my troll photos. To be clear, I’m not complaining. It’s rare and charming to see unfiltered joy on a busy street. Even more unusual, a fine crack forming in my thick shell of cynicism while watching so much unguarded delight.

Frankie stands outside the cafe

Past the cafe, the Nordic Museum has a gift shop where you can find a coffee table book about the Way of the Bird King trolls. Mostly, it’s not troll-related. Think wool sweaters, handicrafts, paintings, and candy. The gift shop is the last stop before you officially enter the museum.

Gift shop

The National Nordic Museum invites people of all backgrounds to explore the culture of five countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. Exhibits range from historical artifacts from the time of the Vikings to the modern day. Besides the permanent and rotating collections, the museum hosts frequent events like film screenings, concerts, lectures, and crafting workshops. The Nordic Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Adult admission is $20. Visiting is free for everyone on the first Thursday of the month. Reserve a ticket online ahead of time on free days.

Nordic Museum

Post-troll adventures

Ballard Locks and Botanical Garden

Only a five-minute walk from the troll, the Ballard Locks have two attractions. The first is the ship canal and locks, where you can watch boats navigate between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. The locks help maintain the water level of Seattle’s freshwater lakes and separate them from the salt water of the Sound.

Ballard Locks

The best time to visit the Ballard Locks is when the salmon are running from mid-June through September. Head inside to see the underwater viewing windows. You might see salmon making their way up the fish ladder or swimming in place as they adjust to fresh water after leaving the ocean.

Salmon in the underwater viewing windows

Next to the Ballard Locks is the Carl S. English, Jr. Botanical Gardens, a lush 7-acre garden full of flowers, shady walking paths, and grassy lawns perfect for a picnic. The lawn faces the locks, so you can watch the ships pass through while you have lunch.

Botanical garden

Like the troll, the Ballard Locks and Botanical Garden are both free to visit. Parking on site is metered at $2/hr. There’s also limited free parking in the neighborhoods.

Ballard Ave

Ballard Ave

Ballard has a charming, walkable neighborhood center about a half mile east of the giant troll. Once you turn off NW Market St onto Ballard Ave, you’ll leave behind the road noise and find pedestrian-friendly blocks full of shops and restaurants. The first is Ocho, a Spanish-style tapas bar with surprisingly reasonable prices for the quality. Look for craft cocktails and a good selection of Spanish and Portuguese wines in the $10 range. If you want to keep to the Scandinavian theme, try Skål, a beer hall where Vikings would not look out of place.

Ocho

Only a block away from Ballard Ave, the Dog Yard Bar is one of my favorite places in Seattle. It’s both a dog park and a tap room. Sit and watch dogs play while you have a beer and pretzel bites.

The Dog Yard

Enjoy your visit to Ballard and its giant troll!

With love,

Emma

See more trolls

Visit Oscar, the Bird King, on Vashon Island.

Find Pia, the Peacekeeper, on Bainbridge Island.