Giant Seattle sculpture ranks among top US roadside attractions. Which one?
There are many tourist attractions around Washington state’s biggest city.
Well-known Seattle landmarks including Pike Place Market and the Space Needle attract scores of visitors per year.
One of the area’s more offbeat roadside attractions is the Fremont Troll.
Featured in movies and TV shows including “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Once Upon a Time,” the giant, whimsical sculpture served as an inspiration for the Seattle Kraken’s mascot, Buoy.
The massive mixed-media sculpture recently ranked among the nation’s most popular roadside attractions, according to Betway Casino.
What is the Fremont Troll in Seattle?
Betway Casino analyzed more than 80 popular roadside attractions across the United States to determine the most popular “stops for road trippers.”
The Fremont Troll was No. 14 on the online betting company’s list.
Created by artists Steve Badanes, Donna Walter, Ross Whitehead and Will Martin, “The Troll” depicts a giant mythical creature crouching under the Aurora Bridge while holding a Volkswagen Beetle.
The 18-foot-tall sculpture was the result of an art competition held by the city and the Fremont Arts Council, according to the Fremont Chamber of Commerce.
The statue at the intersection of North 36th Street and North Troll Avenue is “one of the city’s quirkiest photo spots,” Betway Casino, calling it a “whimsical hidden gem.”
Fans celebrate the troll’s birthday every Halloween with live music and a pageant, known as Trolloween, the Fremont Arts Council said.
According to Betway Casino, Google users search for the Fremont Troll nearly 50,000 times each year, and the attraction has been tagged as an Instagram location more than 45,000 times.
The troll has an average rating of 4.1 out of five on TripAdvisor, the Betway Casino study said.
What are the best roadside attractions in the US?
To pick “America’s most popular roadside attractions,” Betway said it looked at TripAdvisor reviews, Instagram posts and worldwide search volume.
Based on those findings, the 15 most popular roadside attractions in the country are:
- Gatorland in Orlando
- Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee
- House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin
- Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
- Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California
- Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California
- Salvation Mountain in Imperial County, California
- Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California
- Blowing Rock in Blowing Rock, North Carolina
- Devils Punch Bowl in Otter Rock, Oregon
- Meteor Crater in Winslow, Arizona
- Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
- South of the Border in Hamer, South Carolina
- Fremont Troll in Seattle
- Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota