Fremont Troll

Take a picture next to this troll statue under a bridge in Seattle.

The Fremont troll is a classic example of using creativity to combat negativity. It is located at the end of a narrow street and under a bridge. Before the troll, the location was a dumping site and was not a safe area at night. In 1990, the Fremont Arts Council Competition was held. The focus of the competition was to reduce the crime rate in this underpass. The sculptors of the troll, Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Ross Whitehead, and Donna Walter, made it out of cement and features a red VW, which was also cemented over.

Over the years, it has been vandalized; however, rather than going through the painstaking efforts of removing the spray paint, more layers of cement are added on top of the sculpture. This has caused the troll to grow a considerable amount. It has drawn in tourists from all over and has made the underpass a thriving, happy place to be. It's not uncommon to find children climbing on and around the troll, parents taking pictures, and friends coming around to hang out. The troll is currently 18 feet tall, and his birthday is October 31st.