Malin’s Fountain (Thomas Dambo troll, Pease Park)

Finished in March 2024, Malin’s Fountain is an 18 foot tall troll made of recycled materials resting in Pease Park in Austin. She can be found just north of the bird’s nest structure in the woods, and, if you run the trail south to north, can be seen from the trail.

Most of Dambo’s trolls appear to have a back story and, to some extent, a purpose. For in-person visitors there is a stone upon which has been carved a description of Malin’s Fountain’s purpose.

Sometimes the summer times are dry

Sometimes the sky will cry

Sometimes the fountain’s full of rain

Sometimes an empty drain

Sometimes are good for summer birds

Sometimes are cursed with thirst

So it always makes a difference when

You fill the fountain up again

This is a link to an article published when Malin was opened to the public. Additional information can be found about Malin on Thomas Dambo’s website (#127 Malin’s Fountain).

The first time (of many) we took our grandson to visit Malin, we told him about Malin and her poem. You can tell from the video below that he did not believe I was generous enough when filling up the fountain with his water bottle. It is always good to learn from the very young.

Pease Park is nearby, and we’ve taken the kids and grandkids to say hello to Malin many times.

Though most of the time Malin has many visitors, sometimes she sits in quiet contemplation – probably waiting for birds and squirrels to refresh themselves in her fountain.

As can be seen in some of the photos below, the artist and his team paid great attention to detail. Malin’s hair appears to be made of driftwood. Her head, like many of Thomas Dambo’s trolls, was made in his workshop in Denmark. The ears, eyes and necklace are all features with attention to detail that we have seen when visiting his other trolls.

Thomas and his team have created over 130 trolls around the world, and all of the ones we have visited are worth the trip. Here’s a link to the online troll map that shows where they all are.

And though Malin’s Fountain is very much worth a visit to Pease Park on her own, there are many other activities to be enjoyed there.