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Ole Bolle

4.6 (20 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

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Plaque on wall.
Jen W.

My first Dambo Troll! It was a perfect day to explore the Nordic Northwest Campus. Strolled the beautiful grounds then made my way to Ole Bolle. He's adorable, peeking into the small red home. Cute toes too! I loved everything about this visit. Great staff, fun gift shop, delicious cardamom pastries and rose coffee.

Lori H.

Love these trolls created by Danish artist, Thomas Dambo. This is only the second one I've seen up close, but they are truly mesmerizing. Their eyes constantly look at you wherever you walk around them. They are large works of art. All materials are recycled. A sight to see for sure! The grounds are located at the nearby Nordic Northwest Cultural Center. They also house the delicious Scandinavian restaurant, Broder Soder. A wonderful place to visit. Highly recommend!

Front view of troll through the trees and sun.
Leah W.

We stopped by this area and seen this amazing troll. First one of 6 for me to see. I'm giving it a 5 for the artist and design. Several little cottages to view and great for photo ops. I didn't explore beyond the troll. I parked in the Nortic building next to troll. Once we parked we could see beyond the trees the troll. Not much walking required. Grassy area for a nice picnicand several benches to sit. I didn't see a bathroom. But again I did a quick stop by. Weekends can be busy so I would recommend mid-week to avoid traffic and lack of parking spaces.

Sign - #120 of Thomas Dambo's trolls
Eva M.

Some logistics first. 1. Unlike many of the Thomas Dambo's handmade trolls accessible at most hours, Ole Bolle is located on the Nordic Northwest (NN) campus. The visitor hours are closer to bankers hours and limited to daylight time, so it's even shorter during the winter. Nordic Northwest manages access, which is subject to the NN events, and they may close access to Ole Bolle for private events. Be sure to look up their events calendar to confirm access or better yet, call them. 2. Because the Nordic Northwest campus is also home to Nordia House (community center), Broder Söder (restaurant), Fogelbo (historic home), and Nordic Finnware (a small gift shop), the parking lot can be surprisingly full. At least it was a surprise to me. No nearby street parking, either. Ole Bolle is one of six Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King. It is No. 120 of Thomas Dambo's giant trolls made from savaged wood trolls. Ole Bolle is my fourth out of the six NW ones. This is the only one with a little house attached, plus a table and chair where visitors can sit and draw pictures with Ole Bolle peaking down at you. Inside the house is a poem: "There's something in the air, that something makes my belly rumble. Something smells so strong, it hits me almost makes me stumble. Could it be the little people cooking something smelly? In the big red cookie jar, so I can put them in my belly." The design of the troll itself is simpler than the others, so not my fav. It is still well worth a visit. Maybe make your drive extra worthwhile by having breakfast or brunch at Broder Söder. I would normally give these wonderful trolls a full 5 Stars. I am deducting one star because I disagree with the limited access to their business hours. The three other Northwest Trolls I have visited are fully accessible to the public at all hours. I think they can do better especially since parking is limited, and street parking is not available.

Invasion of privacy troll
Ryan T.

This is my favorite troll in the PNW. We've seen most of them in WA so seeing this one was kinda a feather in the cap

Broder ole Bolle sign
Gwen Z.

Seeing the troll up close was so cool! Inside the main building is a wonderful restaurant and gift shop.

Ole Bolle
Tracy L.

This is a super cute art installation to make a quick stop at. He's one of a set of trolls you can find in the Pacific Northwest (the rest are in Washington I believe). There is a small parking lot that serves this and the restaurant, and some people do need to circle for parking a bit.

Amber S.

This was our 4th troll on the PNW loop. He's super easy to get to with plenty of parking and just a short walk on path. He's just a little harder to get a good photo with, compared to the others.

Ole Bolle peering into the roof of a house.
Alden C.

Ole Bolle is a wooden troll statue created by Thomas Dambo. There are six of these statues in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest Portland area has one. I think I like Ole Bolle the best so far. This statue has more of an animated look to it as the troll is peering into a house by lifting the roof. You can go inside the house and have the troll directly look at you. GPS directions are accurate and it's a minor walk on a path to reach the troll. There is signage to confirm you are going in the right direction. This was a really fun stop and it's a free one which makes it all the better!

Sara G.

The Ole Bolle Troll, created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, is an eco-conscious art installation just outside Beaverton, Oregon. Known for his large-scale sculptures made from recycled materials, Dambo has crafted the troll entirely from scrap wood. This particular piece, like many of his other works, is part of his worldwide troll series, each designed to connect people with nature and remind us to repurpose discarded materials. He's so cute! The Bolle Troll feels like something out of a fairytale. I'm so happy we stopped by to see this.

Looking in on you!
Karl A.

This is such a fun spot to visit. The setting is great! Tucked nicely into the woods, and just a short walk from the parking lot. Well worth the stop to see Ole Bolle!

Kim G.

Incredible! Ole Bolle is a sight to see! This whimsical troll is the creative, hand made character by Thomas Dambo, made entirely out of recycled materials. Dambo has built over 100 trolls installed all over the world. In what has been named, The Tol Trail. There are six trolls in various locations around Puget Sound in Washington, including one at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle. Ole Bolle is the only troll in Oregon, located at the Nordic Northwest Campus in Tualatin. From the parking lot, just walk down the Troll Path and you will quickly come upon a clearing amongst the giant fir trees with a myriad of red Nordic huts. There is a giant bench swing for relaxation, a path around the clearing, and the star attraction, Ole Bolle peering into one of the cabins. The inside of the cabin is furnished with a table and chairs, some troll artwork, and a window where you can get another view of Ole Bolle. Make sure to walk around all sides to marvel at the detail from every angle, including his feet and toes! What I love about this instillation is that Dambo has created an experience, one that conjures up stories from childhood in a playful, whimsical way! Afterwards, take the Troll Path over to the Northwest Nordic Center and visit the gift store filled with trolls and more Nordic treasures. While there, have lunch at a Broder Soder for a delicious Nordic inspired meal.

Bennette I.

I finally went to see Ole Bolle The Troll in Portland - why I waited so long I have no idea! It is easily accessible but the only downside is the parking is really tight even if you have a very small compact car. There is a gravel lot if you turn right into the parking lot but it is farther from the entrance. It is a short walk and you are transformed into a small European village. Surrounded by mature and lush landscaping you can walk freely around - so green and clean. It wasn't the best of weather days but it wasn't rainy and there were people milling about. Ole Bolle is so cool, a very IG moment. There is a visitors center, with a Swedish restaurant, gift shop and clean restrooms. This was my first troll so now starts the journey to visit the other Washington locations!

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Review Highlights - Ole Bolle

This statue has more of an animated look to it as the troll is peering into a house by lifting the roof.

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Donya Grace Art - Window painting for Head Start location.

Donya Grace Art

4.2(5 reviews)
3.2 miSouthwest Portland

I really wanted to like this company for a variety of reasons . First , I like supporting small…read morebusinesses. Second, the price was more than fair . I collect antiques and vintage pieces and thought I found the perfect person to help me restore special finds . One positive is that the owner's man hours far exceed what she charges. I really have to give her credit for this. Unfortunately, the skills, experience, and business management here are severely lacking. I first contacted this company to fix some paint damage on a very nice Pottery Barn dining room table. She quoted about a quarter of the price quoted by licensed & bonded companies so we thought it was worth the gamble. Nearly 8 months later, our table is worthless and looks awful . The first time she brought it back it was clearly painted with different paints! The 2 pieces of the table and the 2 leaves didn't match and it was extremely obvious. She was open to fixing it, and at first that was great. Unfortunately, she was extremely unreliable. I checked texts and at least 19 (!!) times she said she was coming to work on it and just didn't show. Several other times, she was hours late or worked late at our house. When it was done, it looked ok, but the paint was not furniture grade. It peeled and regular use left marks and damage . Finally, it was clear she couldn't fix it, and she took it back. She gave a date and didn't show up . I emailed her , and she was accountable for the damage. She said she was consulting with a furniture expert who had been working on tables for 30 years and would fix it. Still, she still didn't pick the table up for another 3 weeks. She finally returned the table and there are still some problems. The leaves are a different color than the rest of the table, and the entire table no longer matches the chairs (I gave her the info on the original product ). It was clearly painted with a spray gun and just done badly. She came to our house to work on the very obvious swirly paint lines , left and hasn't contacted us or responded in 4 weeks. She completely ignores texts and emails. It's going to cost about $1600 for a professional to fix the damage. Bottom line : too good to be true price , true hard work. I wish she had been honest about her inability to complete the project from the beginning, would have saved us all trouble. She is also very unreliable and continued to destroy our table over 8 months.

I wish I could give Donya more than 5 stars! I called her about refinishing a large dresser and…read moremirror. Her price was far more reasonable than the other 5 quotes I got. Not only that but she arranged pick up and drop off for only $30. Not only were her prices phenomenal but her work was fantastic. She was even able to refinish my dresser that had particle board on the sides because she does all her work by hand. Most places take the piece apart and dip it in a harsh chemical that eats away at the varnish...but Donya gracefully and patiently sands it down by hand. This makes for a gentle and mindful restoration. I just can't say enough about the quality of her work and how reasonable her prices were. Don't even bother getting other quotes...she'll bet them hands down and her work is phenomenal. The pictures don't do the work justice...but I've attached for you to see.

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Donya Grace Art - Window painting for Head Start location.

Window painting for Head Start location.

Donya Grace Art - Window painting for Head Start classroom.

Window painting for Head Start classroom.

Donya Grace Art

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Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden at Grant Park - A sculpture of Ribsi.

Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden at Grant Park

4.6(15 reviews)
8.8 miGrant Park, Northeast Portland

Yes, Beverly Cleary has a sculpture garden in Portland. The beloved author of the Ramona books and…read morethe Mouse and the Motorcycle books was indeed from Portland. The sculpture garden is within a larger park, Grant Park. There aren't that many statues here commemorating all of her beloved characters but you will see statues of Ramona, Henry and Ribsi here but the Mouse and the Motorcycle gets completely skipped. Still a loving contribution to the author and a local celebrity for the city. Since this garden doesn't contain a whole lot of content you don't need to factor in a whole lot of time to see it if that is all you are planning to do at Grant Park. You wouldn't even need to plan half an hour but more closer to fifteen minutes.

Having read many of Beverly Cleary's books as a child, it was a twist of fate to move from NJ to…read morePortland and buy a house next to the Beverly Cleary School and across from the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden. Located in Grant Park on the NE 33rd Street side by the children's playground, there are three bronze sculptures of favorite characters, complete with a water sprinkler area which is no longer spraying water during COVID-19. Ramona Quimby (her adventures are based on Beverly Cleary's own childhood antics) and Henry Higgens are there, along with Henry's dog, Ribsy. Since Beverly Cleary grew up in this neighborhood and the books were based in Portland, it's the perfect spot for this sculpture garden, a lasting legacy to Beverly and the characters she brought to life for so many! Its not an attraction I would go out of my way to see - it's a tiny part of the playground - but since I lived across the street for 16 years, walked the park daily and swam at Grant pool, I've passed it hundreds of times. I've often taken a rest on the bench admiring these sculptures that conjure up lots of childhood memories and my love of reading.

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Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden at Grant Park - A sculpture of Ramona Quimby!

A sculpture of Ramona Quimby!

Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden at Grant Park - A sculpture of Henry.

A sculpture of Henry.

Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden at Grant Park - A sculpture of the character Ribsi.

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A sculpture of the character Ribsi.

Ole Bolle - publicart - Updated May 2026

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