Bay Bridge Troll for kids
The Secret Troll Under the Bridge. The true story of Bay Bridge Troll, near San Francisco, CA, told for kids.
Read along
Psst! Want to hear a secret about the Bay Bridge? A long time ago, a big earthquake broke part of this bridge. Workers fixed it, and the bridge was closed for weeks.
When the fixing was almost done, some ironworkers sneaked a little metal troll onto a steel beam! They welded him there, and he held a tiny wrench. He was only eighteen inches tall, about as big as a loaf of bread! Clink, clank, nobody saw him at first.
Later, a newer troll took his place on the new bridge. Now it's your turn. Look out the window and pretend you're a troll inspector. Can you spot where a tiny troll might hide?
Quiz the back seat
What was the little troll holding?
Show the answer
A tiny wrench. A tiny wrench! Just like the ironworkers who fixed the bridge.
3 fun facts
- The Bay Bridge Troll is an 18-inch steel figure welded to the bridge.
- Ironworkers smuggled it on after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake repairs.
- A newer troll replaced it in 2013.
For grown-ups
Every Tumbly story is checked claim by claim against the sources below before it's published; stories that don't pass stay off the app and this site. Narration is pre-recorded, and nothing you do on this page is tied to your kids.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Bridge_Troll
- abc7news.com/archive/9241782
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Loma_Prieta_earthquake
- conservation.ca.gov/cgs/earthquakes/loma-prieta
- abc7news.com/archive/9313448
- thebolditalic.com/have-you-seen-the-bay-bridge-troll-the-bold-italic-san-francisco
- kqed.org/news/11892152/the-tale-of-the-bay-bridge-troll
- nbcbayarea.com/news/local/original-bay-bridge-troll/1929265
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