Seattle, Washington story
A Bridge and a Troll
If you walk under the north end of the Aurora Bridge, you'll find a giant, eighteen-foot cement creature clutching a Volkswagen Beetle. This is the Fremont Troll, but he didn't ju…
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If you walk under the north end of the Aurora Bridge, you'll find a giant, eighteen-foot cement creature clutching a Volkswagen Beetle. This is the Fremont Troll, but he didn't just appear. In 1989, as part of a city arts competition to revitalize the under-bridge space, a team of four artists—led by Steve Badanes—set out to bring a Norwegian folktale to life.
Based on the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, the sculpture was completed in 1990 using rebar steel, wire, and ferrocement. The troll even has a Volkswagen Beetle hubcap for a metal eye. What started as a way to brighten up a concrete underpass has become one of Fremont's most iconic landmarks, where visitors today still love to climb and pose for photos.
Updated June 2026