Trolls: A Field Study at the NC Arboretum

From the Field Study guide: "Not long ago, we trolls were baffled by little humans - zipping around in metal beasts, scrolling on your pocket stars. But then we saw how your eyes still light up when you see a handsome snail or a beautiful leaf, and we thought... maybe you're not so strange after all! So we've come to study you further, and see if we can find some wild treasure together (much better than shiny coins). You in?"

The North Carolina Arboretum and Explore Asheville are celebrating the arrival of Trolls: A Field Study, which made its North American debut on November 10, 2025 at the Arboretum. Produced by Imagine in collaboration with Danish artist Thomas Dambo, twelve friendly troll sculptures are scattered throughout the Arboretum in a scavenger hunt of epic proportions!

We previously explored one of Dambo's troll exhibits at the Morton Arboretum in Illinois and were so excited to have another chance to see one of his art installations!

The sculptures range from seven to nine feet tall, and are crafted from wooden materials like fallen branches, pallets and twigs. They are created to be interactive, and my kids had so much fun crawling into nets for photo ops, taking up-close looks at the materials used, and learning each troll’s name and story!

"On the night he was born, a little troll named Taks wandered into the human world. What he saw left him puzzled—strange machines, noisy boxes, people rushing around without stopping to talk to the trees. When he returned to the forest, he shared his discoveries with his eleven siblings - and so it started: Trolls: A Field Study!”

Make sure to get the map from the education center, it has activities corresponding to each site for the kids to complete, as well as providing a checklist of sorts, so that you can locate all 12 trolls without too much backtracking.

Admission to Trolls: A Field Study is included in the standard Arboretum parking fee, and no advance tickets are required. However, be aware that on weekends you may encounter crowds and a longer wait to enter the Arboretum and should plan accordingly.

The exhibit is at the NC Arboretum from November 15, 2025 through February 17, 2026. As Winter Lights is also currently running at the Arboretum, daily hours have been shortened to 8am to 5pm, with last admission at 4pm. After the holidays normal business hours will resume: 8am to 7pm starting January 5, 2026. A Winter Lights/Daytime combo ticket is available, but those ticket holders must also exit at 5:00 p.m. and return at the entry time listed on their Winter Lights ticket.

While you’re at the Arboretum, make sure to check out the children’s exhibit Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact in the Baker Exhibit Hall, which runs through January 4, 2026. Visitors can peek inside the snowpack to find animals that make their homes in the snow, walk through a snowstorm, or even build a snowman! The outdoor “Playing Woods” area is always a hit with our family; we plan for snack time and a rest there. The NC Arboretum is also a participant in the ecoEXPLORE citizen science program and the Kids in Parks TRACKTrail program, both of which make a visit even more immersive.

Location: NC Arboretum, 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806

Admission: Free, but there is a parking fee for non-members ($20 for standard vehicle)

Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., with the last entry at 4 p.m.

Exhibit runs from November 15, 2025 through February 17, 2026

Website: Trolls: A Field Study - The North Carolina Arboretum

This article first appeared on Kidding Around Greenville as Trolls Take Over the Arboretum: A New Family Experience.

The article Hunting for trolls at the Morton Arboretum, on the topic of Dambo's "Hunting for Trolls" exhibit can be found here.

Baltic Christmas Day 20 - Christmas Eve in Wentorf DP Camp

Today, on Day 20 of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas, I am delighted in to introduce artist Krista Svalbonas, her husband Lars Alverson, and Dzintra Alverson! I recently met Krista and Lars while Krista’s most recent project, “Displacement” was featured at Spartanburg Art Museum in the exhibit up[route]d, and was fascinated by the work she is doing documenting the displaced-person camps that the Baltic peoples called home for years post-WWII. Please make sure to read on towards the end – Krista and Lars are still seeking DP’s from many of the camps to interview…

“Born in Latvia and Lithuania, my parents spent five years after the end of World War II in displaced-person camps in Germany before they were allowed to emigrate to the United States. In the series “Displacement,” I set out to retrace and re-imagine that history. My parents’ childhood homes were structures appropriated from other civilian and military uses to house thousands of postwar refugees. They had always described this housing as temporary; I never expected to see these buildings myself. But after intensive archival research, I was able to locate, visit, and photograph many of the actual buildings on the sites of former DP camps in Germany. I have documented 47 former Baltic DP camps in Germany and am currently traveling the US and Canada, interviewing former DP’s from these camps.” (Krista)

“Here is my mother’s little story about Christmas in the Wentorf DP camp. The still life below reflect the central objects of her story; the gnome pictured is the original that is described in this story.” (Lars)

(English version follows below)

Ziemas Svetku Vakars Wentorfas Nometne, Dzintra Alverson

      “Šo jauko notikumu esmu bieži stāstijusi un aprakstījusi skolas domrakstu uzdevumos un vēlāk, saviem berniem.  Bija Ziemsvētku Vakars Wentorfas DP nometnē.  Mūsu ceļojāmā koka kaste un brūnais grumbuļainais koferītis no Latvijas bija sapakoti pilni.  Viss mūsu istabā bija sapakots un nokrāmēts, lai agri no rīta mēs varētu doties ceļā uz Gronas nometni, no kuras mēs kāptu kugī, ceļā uz Brazīliju.  Mammiņa bija pat nokristījusies par Baptisti, lai mēs dabūtu sponsorus Baptistu kolonijā. Te pēkšņi pienāca ziņa no nometnes valdības ka viss otrais stāvs ir slēgts ar karantīni, jo vienam zēnam esot masalas.  Nekāda iešana vai braukšana visiem otrā stāva iedzīvotājiem uz divām nedēļām. Tā visa cerība braukt rīt prom zuda. Kuģis uz Brazīliju rīt aizbrauks bez mums.

      Mēs palikām istabā, bez Ziemsvētkiem, dāvanām, svētku priekiem.  Uz tukšā galdiņa stāvēja  stikla pudelīte, kurā Mammiņa bija ielikusi egļu zariņu, lai mums būtu kaut kāda Ziemsvētku sajūta. Zariņā dega viena svecīte.  Mēs sēdējām ap galdu un dziedājām Ziemsvētku dziesmiņas savā ģimenes korītī.  Brālis Vilnis dziedāja basu, māsa Ilga ar Mammiņu otro balsi un mēs abas ar māsu Aiju, pirmo balsi. 

      Te pēkšņi pie loga dzirdam kādu balsi.  Mammiņa piegāja pie loga.  Lejā stāvēja svēša dāma un angļu valodā lūdza lai Mammiņa nolaiž lejā groziņu ar kaut kādu virvi. Tā kā mēs  bijām nupat pakojušies, Mammiņai bija groziņš un virve pie rokas.  Viņa nolaida virvi.  Kad viņa uzrāva groziņu augšā, mums visiem palika mutes vaļā.  Tur bija četri lieli apelsīni, un maza kastīte, kurā bija mazs, trīs collu metāla rūķītis kurš, kad viņu uzgriež ar metāla atslēdziņu aizmugurē, griežās apkārt un tur savās rokās vēl mazāku rūķīti . Izrādijās ka viena angļu dāma no UNRAs bija dzirdējusi ka otrā stāvā esot ģimene ar četriem bērniem, kuri sēž karantīnē, bez Ziemassvētkiem, jo viņiem bijis paredzēts rīt braukt prom. Kas viņa bija par Ziemsvētku enģelīti tai vakarā! Kas tas bija par prieku un pārdzīvojumu mums visiem!!

      Mēs lēnām un ar lielu baudu lobījām katrs savu apelsīnu vaļā, kur beigās viņa izskatījās kā udensrozīte. Šo lobīšanas veidu mums tikko bija iemācijis viens ļoti jauks un laipns kungs no nometnes, jo apelsīni mums bēgļiem bija nesen atklāts jaunums. Viņš bija bijis muzikas skolotājs Latvijā, un bieži arī nāca pamācīt mums dziesmiņas. Man liekās ka viņu sauca Janis Lubinš. Ar viņu arī iemācījāmies dziedāt uz balsīm ”Tec saulīte tecēdama”, “Saulīt vēlu vakarā” un “Trīcēj kalni skanēj meži”.  Lietojot viņa iemācīto apelsīna lobīšanas veidu, sēdējām ap galdu, lēni ēdām dārgo apelsīnu, pa gabaliņam vien, un katrs gaidījām savu reizi uzvilkt mazo rūķīti, lai viņš mūs iepriecina ar savu griešanos. Pēc tam manā dzīvē ir bijuši daudz Ziemas svētki, bet nevieni nekad vairs neatstāja tik lielu iekšēju iespaidu un prieku kā šie.”

Christmas Eve in Wentorf DP Camp, Dzintra Alverson

            “I have often narrated and described the following event in school assignments and later to my children. It was Christmas Eve at Wentorf DP Camp. The steamer trunk and the little brown suitcase we traveled with from Latvia were packed full with our belongings. Everything in our room was packed away so we could head out to Grohn Camp early in the morning, from where we would board a ship to Brazil. Mommy had even allowed to be baptized in order to get sponsors in the Baptist colony there. Suddenly a message came from the camp government that the entire second floor was quarantined because a boy had contacted measles. There was no travel for all upstairs residents for the next two weeks. All hope for leaving in the morning was gone. The ship would embark for Brazil without us. 

            We stayed in the room, without Christmas, presents, or any celebration. There was a glass bottle on the empty table where Mommy had placed a sprig of a evergreen tree to give us some Christmas feeling. A single candle burned on one of its twigs. We sat around the table, singing Christmas carols in our family choir. Brother Vilnis sang bass, sister Ilga with Mommy sang alto, and my sister Aija and I sang soprano.

            Suddenly we heard someone calling at the window. Mommy walked to the window. Down below stood a unfamiliar woman, who, speaking in English, asked us to lower a basket with some rope. Having just completed our packing, Mommy had a basket and a rope accessible. She lowered the rope. When she pulled up the basket, our mouths were agape in astonishment. There were four large oranges, and a small box containing a small, three-inch metal gnome who, when wound-up with a metal key in the back, marched in a circle as he held an even smaller gnome in his hands. It turned out that the English lady was from UNRA and had heard that there was a family on the second floor with four children, in quarantine, without Christmas, and stranded as they were supposed to leave the next morning. What a Christmas angel she was that evening! What a joy and experience for all of us !! 

            Slowly and with great pleasure, we meticulously peeled the orange rinds back like flower petals, making it look just like a waterlily. This skill had been taught to us very recently by a very nice and kind gentleman in the camp, for the delicacy of oranges was a recent discovery for us refugees. He was a music teacher in Latvia and often came to teach us songs. I believe his name was Janis Lubin. With him, we also learned to sing in harmony songs like "Tec saulīte tecēdama", "Saulīt vēlu vakarā" and "Trīcēj kalni skanēj meži". We sat around the table, slowly eating the precious oranges, piece by piece, and each of us waited for his turn to play with the little gnome, watching as he would delight us with his animated march. Since then, there have been many Christmas holidays in my life, but none have ever left such an inner impression and joy as this.”

Krista is still seeking Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians from the following DP camps, with the hopes of interviewing and photographing them: Altenstadt, Braunschweig, Dillingen, Braunschweig, Detmold, Emden, Erlangen, Eutin, Ingolstadt, Insula, Itzehhoe, Kleinkotz, Lauingen, Lubeck Riga, Lubeck Waldersee, Memmingen, and Paderborn. Krista invites anyone interested in this project to please contact her!

Krista Svalbonas, Newtown Square, PA, USA

www.kristasvalbonas.com

krista51@me.com

You can also find Krista on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For a limited time you can purchase a painting by Krista, with all proceeds going to funding her refugee/DP project; she has interviewees scheduled next year in Seattle, Portland, LA, Grand Rapids, Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Winnipeg (Canada) and Toronto (Canada)… Click here to go to the store!

Mīļš paldies Krista and Lari, for sharing your project and your family Christmas story! If you have the opportunity to see Krista’s art in person, do it – she currently has work on exhibit at The Art & Design Gallery at FIT in NYC as part of “Picturing Space: artists imagine architecture." Coming next year, a "Displacement" solo exhibition at Latvijas Fotogrāfijas Muzejs in Rīga, followed by a European tour of Kaunas, Vilnius and Germany!

Tomorrow, on Day 21 of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas, winter solstice budēļi with the Krišjāņa Barona Latvian School of Chicago and artist Lāsma!

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors in Atlanta

Just one month left to see the Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors exhibit at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta on its last stop in the US!

Yayoi Kusama: Dots Obsession-Love Transformed Into Dots, 2007

Tickets for the exhibit went on sale in September, selling out in three days. If you didn’t manage to purchase tickets, approximately 100 walk-up tickets are available at the museum daily until February 10th. Walk-up ticket sales begin 1 hour before the Museum opens (10 am Tuesday through Saturday, 12pm on Sunday), but it is advised to get there early as lines form before then.

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrored Room-Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity, 2009

If making the trip all the way to Atlanta without a guarantee of getting tickets isn’t an option, you have yet another chance to score tickets to the highly acclaimed exhibit. High Museum reserved the final week of tickets to accommodate possible cancellations due to inclement weather, and these remaining tickets will be released for sale February 5, at 10 am online at high.org. The tickets are for specific time slots from February 11 through 17; walk-up tickets will not be sold during this week.

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta

Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, born 1929) has been described as one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists, and the Infinity Mirrors exhibit earning her the title of most-Instagrammed artist of our times. Organized by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the exhibit is a showcase of six decades of Kusama’s work, culminating with the Infinity Mirror Rooms, her iconic, kaleidoscopic environments. According to the High Museum website, the exhibition presents six of these rooms as well as sculptures, paintings, works on paper, film excerpts, archival ephemera, and additional large-scale installations that span the early 1950s to the present day.

Yayoi Kusama: Life (Repetitive Vision), 1998

If you do manage to purchase tickets, be prepared to show up early to give yourself time to park and find the museum. There is a queue in the lobby, and visitors with tickets are allowed into the exhibit at the designated time. The Infinity Mirror Rooms have separate queues, allowing visitors in 2, 3 or 4 at a time. Tip: If you don’t particularly care who you enter the room with, you may line up in the ‘singles’ line for certain rooms, which will get you in much faster than the main line.

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrored Room-The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, 2013

Some of the rooms feature strobe lights, while others can have a dizzying effect from depth (mis)perception. You only get 20-30 second per room, so take advantage of the moment by experiencing it, instead of trying to snap photos. You can always duck in a second time for a photo or two. One room, All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, does not allow photography. Another ‘room’ Love Forever is only for sticking your head in; in all the Infinity Mirror Rooms the viewer becomes a part of the exhibit. The final room, The Obliteration Room, allows guests to place stickers on the surfaces of the room, thereby leaving their own mark on the exhibit.

Yayoi Kusama: The Obliteration Room, 2002-present, installed 2018

If you don’t make it to Atlanta to see the exhibit, next time you’re in Raleigh stop by the North Carolina Museum of Art. Last year the museum added Yayoi Kusama’s “Light of Life" to their permanent collection, the porthole exhibit similar to Love Forever. And make sure to use #infinitekusama when tagging on Instagram…

Note: The High Museum posted a timelapse on their Facebook site of the Obliteration Room - you can see it here.

Chihuly Nights at Biltmore

If you haven’t yet been to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville to see the Chihuly exhibit, you have until the first week in October to see this captivating art installation, the first art exhibition in Biltmore’s historic gardens, and the first garden exhibition of Chihuly’s works in North Carolina.

Solo d'Oro (2017)

Electric Yellow and Deep Coral Tower (2017)

Artist Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor, famous for his environmental artwork. We have our very own Chihuly piece right here in Falls Park – Rose Crystal Tower – although it is constructed of Polyvitro instead of glass (see my post Chihuly Comes to Greenville).

Pergola Garden Fiori (2018)

Red Reeds (2017)

  

We opted for Chihuly Nights tickets, as they include an evening visit to Biltmore as well as daytime admission the day of your evening visit or the following day to the Gardens, Conservatory, Antler Hill Village & Winery, the shops and the restaurant. The only difference between a day and night ticket really seems to be your entry time into the Biltmore House; an evening tour is self-guided and restricted to the First Floor.

Paintbrush Tower (2014)

Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds (2015) outside the Conservatory

You will want to tour the house, as Laguna Torcello II is located in the Winter Garden. It is the only piece located inside the Biltmore House; Sky Blue and Cobalt Fiori is located just outside the main entrance.

Laguna Torcello II (2018)

Sky Blue and Cobalt Fiori (2017)

Portions of the exhibit can be found along the Pergola, in the Shrub Garden, in the Walled Garden and Italian Garden, and in the Conservatory. The centerpiece, Sole d’Oro, is located on the Esplanade, and two more pieces can be found in Antler Hill Village: Alabaster and Amber Spire Towers & Turquoise and Erbium Fiori.

Sole d'Oro (2017)

The orchids in the Conservator almost showed up the Chihuly chandeliers...

Burnished Amber, Citron, and Teal Chandeliers (2017) - one of two in the Conservatory

  

Our visit was made even more interesting by a summer thunderstorm. Not only did we have the gardens to ourselves, the colors seemed more lush and vibrant. In addition there were some fantastic skies serving as a backdrop to the Châteauesque residence.

We saw the storm coming a long way off

Float Boat (2017) and the Italian Garden

  

If Sole d’Oro is the centerpiece, the sculptures in the Italian Garden are a crescendo – the five works are floating in the ponds, water lilies and koi living among them.

Niijima Floats (2018) and the resident carp among the clouds

Fiori Boat (2017), Neodymium Reeds with Fiori Verdi (2014) in background

It was here that I definitely noticed the Italian influence on Chihuly's work. One of the pieces is titled Palazzo Ducale Tower, and it is the oldest in the exhibition. The initial phase of Chandelier exploration culminated in his Chihuly over Venice project, and the ceilings that could not support chandeliers challenged the artist to create towers. I wrote about Venice, Palazzo Ducale and the Murano glassblowing legacy in my post Venice and Lido, Italy.

Palazzo Ducale Tower (1996) in he Italian Garden is the oldest piece in the exhibition

A visit to Biltmore in the coming months offers the Chihuly experience alongside the landscape architecture of Frederick Law Olmstead; it is no wonder that it has taken nearly two years of preparation to host this exhibit, and it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that is worth the trip.

Red Reeds (2017)

Sole d'Oro (2017) as seen from the Statue of Diana

Hunting for trolls at the Morton Arboretum

My last visit to the Morton Arboretum was a lifetime ago, but when I heard about the new art installation “Troll Hunt,” I knew we would be making the trek to Lisle during our sojourn in the Midwest. What more appropriate way to become reacquainted with the arboretum and hunt for trolls, than with best friends from my days in the UIUC forestry program? Of course a relaxing day strolling the paths of this Chicagoland institution wasn’t in the books – we hit the trails with three moms and eight kids, severely outnumbered but in for a fantastic adventure.

Meet Little Arturs!

The six trolls and one troll hideout is the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo, and are crafted entirely from reclaimed wood and natural materials. The 15 to 30 foot tall sculptures serve as protectors of our environment: “The trolls share the Arboretum's desire to care for trees; however, they seem suspicious of humans. We need you to join the investigation and help trolls and humans come to understand each other. What will you discover when you join the hunt?”

Sneaky Socks Alexa had a 'human trap' set up, and was lying in wait to set it off...

“Troll Hunt” first opened in the spring of 2018, and will be on exhibit through 2018 and possibly into 2019. Bearing a resemblance to the trolls of European folklore, the enormous statues were a huge hit with the kids; we spent all day at the arboretum, split between troll hunting and the Children’s Garden.

Rocky Bardur is right off the parking lot - seems like someone parked a little too close!

Step one: Pick up the Troll Hunter's Handbook when you arrive. The trolls are located between two feet and ¾ of a mile from the nearest parking lot, spread over the Arboretum’s 1,700 acres; to see all the trolls, the total hiking distance is six to seven miles. A Morton map and the Handbook will help you find a logical route to visit the trolls, as well as provide prompts to find a clue for each troll; this will allow you to locate the Troll's ‘secret hideout,’ the seventh part of the installation. We opted to visit a few of the closer trolls by foot, and then drive to the remaining sites; see this link for info on accessibility and closest parking lots. You can also rent bicycles (or bring your own), as well as buy tickets to the troll tram; the 1½ hour tour takes you to 4 trolls with less than ½ mile walk at each.

The Troll Hideout

Step two: Try not to spend all day at the Troll Hideout! Once you’ve found all the trolls and filled in the blanks in the Troll Hunter’s Handbook, put your heads together to figure out where the hideout is located. It’s a short hike in but worth every step! There is a giant tepee structure for troll strategy sessions, and everything from a giant-sized mancala game board with pine cone pieces, to a troll-size toothbrush and other troll essentials! The kids took turns posing in the cauldron, banging the giant drum, cooping one another up in the human-size trap, and holding conferences in ‘troll court’. I spent my time admiring the imagination and craftsmanship behind every little detail of the hideout, photographing the shadows created by the tepee, and covering my ears whenever someone found the drum!

FYI: Morton Aroboretum has a Reciprocal Admissions Program with Hatcher Woodland Gardens in Spartanburg and the South Carolina Botanical Gardens, as well as the North Carolina Arboretum – please visit the website for more details. http://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap/find/statebystate Or, visit on a Wednesday for $5 off an adult ticket.

Troll Hunt, a Fairy Tale

Strolling Downtown Spartanburg

Spartanburg is the second-largest city in Upstate South Carolina, and is just 30 minutes from Greenville, with the two cities sharing GSP airport. Possibly best known as the home of Wofford College and the Carolina Panthers training camp, Spartanburg is also the site of headquarters for Denny's and is home to the BMW Spartanburg factory. On the other hand, the city has been around since 1753 and is packed with historic attractions, cultural sites and outdoor activities. Spartanburg became a hub city back in the late 1800s when seven train lines fanned out from the city like spokes on a wheel, and today the nickname “Hub City” is still appropriate, although it is highways that connect the city to Altanta, DC, and Charlotte just 80 miles to the east. Recently the city has been energized in a rebirth, and nowhere is this new prestige as a tourist destination more evident than on a stroll down Main Street.

A great place to start is Denny’s Plaza, the greenspace adjacent to Denny's Corporate Headquarters. Denny's main offices were located California until 1989, at which time the office was moved to Spartanburg, headquarters of the parent company Trans World Corporation that acquired Denny's in 1987. The Plaza is home to fountains and gardens, as well as seasonal attractions such as the “Dickens of a Christmas” holiday tree.

Denny's headquarters and plaza

Headed west you’ll pass multiple popular stores including the Local Hiker and Hub City Scoops. Shortly before reaching S. Church St. you’ll find Fr8yard, the one of a kind, family friendly, outdoor entertainment and restaurant complex that opened last year. The venue is a community gathering place that was bustling even on a chilly January day.

You’ll notice multiple light-bulb sculptures as you walk, a part of the large-scale public art project headed up by the Spartanburg Art Museum. The project is titled “Lighten Up Spartanburg!”and features 28 light-bulb sculptures in public spaces around Spartanburg’s Downtown Cultural District, each decorated by a local or regional artist, designer or architect who was given free rein to paint, shape and decorate the sculptures.

Wall Street is the pedestrian thoroughfare that features multiple restaurants and stores. The ‘festival street’ is a good example of how the city has recently invested in Spartanburg to make it more bikable and walkable, and is part of a larger trails plan that will eventually connect 200 miles of countywide bike lanes and trails.

There is a different type of trail that runs through downtown as well - the Spartanburg Music Trail. A 30-minute walking tour of the city’s music history guides you from Daniel Morgan Avenue up Main Street to Liberty Street, colorful markers describing various artists at each point and appropriate music audible through your smartphone. It was Southern Rock superstars the Marshall Tucker Band who put Spartanburg on the musical map, but you’ll also learn which Spartanburg bluesman lent his first name to British rock group Pink Floyd, who played electric guitar for Elvis Presley, who wrote “Duelin’ Banjos,” and who put the words and music together to create the hymn “Amazing Grace.”

Along with the light bulbs you might also notice metal cycling statues scattered around, part of a ArtCycle scavenger hunt that has participants searching for the 11 pieces created by local artist Hoondirt. The art is in honor of Spartanburg’s bicycle-friendly designation from the League of American Bicyclists (SC’s first), as well as being the first city in the Southeast with a bike sharing program.

You’ll want to plan to spend some time in the Masonic Temple, today home to Hub City Writers Project and Cakehead Bakeshop. The award-winning bakery (in 2012 their cajun tater biscuit was judged the world’s best biscuit at the International Biscuit Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee) shares the ground floor with the Spartanburg publisher and bookseller. The Opera House was at this location from 1880 until demolished in 1907, and while several smaller buildings occupied the site in the interim, several Masonic lodges pooled resources to build the current space in 1927, designed by Spartanburg architect Frank Collins.

The Masons still meet at the location regularly, the upper floors housing an elegant auditorium. We picked up coffee roasted by local Little River Roasting Co. at the coffee bar, and after browsing for almost an hour at the bookstore, selected the second edition of “The Underground Guide to Spartanburg.” Printed by Hub City Press, this volume is the perfect guide to finding great stuff to do in the city.

Hub City Press publications

Back outside and continuing east, you’ll notice that for a brief period the opposing lanes of traffic on Main Street are split by a small pocket park. In the center is the clock tower; originally a feature of the Opera House, then a fixture of the Magnolia Street courthouse, the bell and clock were moved to the present location in 1986.

The north block Between Magnolia Street and Church Street is devoted to Morgan Square. At the west end is the Daniel Morgan Monument, the 1881 memorial a tribute to General Morgan’s victory at Cowpens. In the center is a fountain, and during the winter months you’ll find the skating rink to be a fun stop.

Just across the street on N Church St. is the Growler Haus, the Upstate chain that offers multiple seasonal and tasteful craft/micro beers and other libations. Comfy couches, local craft beer (and cider & komboucha) and knowledgeable bartenders will convince you to stay awhile.

On the next block over, 127 Dunbar Street (it has frontage on both Main and Dunbar) is the former location of the chain department store Woolworth’s. On July 26, 1960 the lunch counter was the site of a sit-in to protest the store’s all-white lunch counter service policy, part of the momentous national movement. You’ll find a plaque to commemorate this historic event.

Just a bit further and you’ll find yourself back in front of the Denny’s Plaza, however this should not be the end of your Spartanburg tour as there is much more to do in Hub City… Car enthusiasts should not miss touring BMW Zentrum, the German car maker’s only museum and manufacturing plant in America. Hiking often brings us out to Milliken Arboretum or Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve, while Croft State Park is a mere 15 minutes south. The Spartanburg International Festival draws more than 12,000 people to Barnet Park every October, while every summer the Carolina Panthers practice can be easily combined with a day in downtown by utilizing the free shuttle to Wofford. However you choose to spend your time in Hub City, you’ll find that it’s a dynamic city, full of history and culture – that will only pique your interest in coming back.

For a historic tour of Spartanburg, check out this guide by Hub City Tour. It features a few of the sites on Main Street in addition to a wide range of attractions throughout the city.