Norway's Dyreparken is building a giant mouth attraction featuring six-metre teeth, based on the beloved children's story Karius and Baktus.
Imagine walking into someone's mouth and finding yourself surrounded by teeth taller than a house. That's exactly what visitors to one of Norway's most popular family attractions will be able to experience from spring 2027.
Kristiansand's Dyreparken is investing more than NOK 65 million in an extraordinary new indoor attraction based on Karius og Baktus, a classic Norwegian children's story by Thorbjørn Egner.
The centrepiece will be a recreation of the mouth of Jens, the young boy at the heart of the story, featuring ten teeth standing six metres tall and a giant toothbrush.
Visitors will experience the world from the perspective of two mischievous creatures who live inside Jens's teeth.
The attraction will combine live theatre with modern technology to create an interactive experience, with room for up to 5,000 visitors each day. It is the largest single attraction investment in Dyreparken's history.
Who Are Karius And Baktus?
For anyone who grew up in Norway, the names Karius and Baktus will almost certainly be familiar.
For international visitors, however, the idea of building an enormous theme park attraction around two creatures that cause tooth decay might seem rather strange.
The characters were created by Norwegian author and illustrator Thorbjørn Egner, whose stories have entertained generations of Norwegian children.
First published as a standalone book in 1949, Karius og Baktus tells the story of two little creatures, often described as tooth trolls, who live inside the mouth of a boy called Jens.
The pair are perfectly happy with their living arrangements. Jens eats plenty of sweets and doesn't brush his teeth properly, allowing the creatures to build homes inside the cavities.
Karius and Baktus enjoy making mischief, encouraging Jens to ignore his mother's advice and continue eating sugary treats.
Unfortunately for them, things take a turn when Jens develops toothache and visits the dentist.
The story has long been used to teach Norwegian children about the importance of looking after their teeth, combining a simple educational message with humour, music and memorable characters.
The names themselves are a play on the words caries and bacteria, giving an indication of the creatures' role in the story.
In 1955, the story was adapted into a short puppet film by Norwegian filmmaker Ivo Caprino, helping introduce the characters to an even wider audience.
More than 75 years after the book's publication, Karius and Baktus remain part of Norway's shared childhood culture. And now, they're getting a rather spectacular new home.
Building A Mouth From Norwegian Wood
Creating a giant mouth might sound straightforward enough for a theme park. But Dyreparken's plans involve some surprisingly advanced engineering.
The new indoor attraction will cover approximately 1,500 square metres, with guests moving through an oversized recreation of Jens's mouth.
The enormous teeth will form part of the theatrical setting rather than simply acting as decoration.
And there's another interesting Norwegian connection: the teeth are being constructed from locally sourced timber.
According to a January 2026 announcement from Dyreparken, the wooden teeth are being developed through a collaboration between architects, timber specialists and technology companies.
Oslo-based Oslotre is leading the work, with production involving Aanesland Treindustri in Lillesand and Sørlaminering in Marnardal.
Advanced 3D design and robotic milling are being used to shape the timber into the unusual forms required.
The project brings together modern technology, Norwegian woodworking expertise and a children's story that has been familiar for generations.
Project manager Roy Bjerke explained that the teeth are central to the visitor experience, not merely background scenery. The aim is to make visitors feel as though they have been shrunk to the size of Karius and Baktus.
Exactly how the theatre and interactive elements will work together remains to be seen, but the scale alone promises something very different from a conventional theme park attraction.
Bringing Norwegian Children's Stories To Life
Although the giant mouth may seem unusual, it fits perfectly with Dyreparken's approach to family entertainment.
Founded in 1966, the popular attraction in Kristiansand has grown from a traditional zoo into a major destination combining animal encounters, themed accommodation, theatrical performances and attractions inspired by Norwegian storytelling.
One of its best-known areas is Kardemomme by, or Cardamom Town, a recreation of the fictional community created by Thorbjørn Egner. Visitors can wander through colourful streets, meet characters from the story and even stay overnight in houses within the town.
Elsewhere, Hakkebakkeskogen, or the Huckybucky Forest, brings another Egner classic to life. Here, visitors travel through a woodland setting where costumed performers recreate scenes involving talking animals, catchy songs and lessons about cooperation.
The park is also famous for Captain Sabertooth, the fictional pirate created by Terje Formoe, whose spectacular summer performances have become a tradition for many Norwegian families.
Together, these attractions make Dyreparken something of a showcase for Norwegian children's entertainment.
The addition of Karius and Baktus will bring three of Egner's most famous fictional worlds together in one area of the park.
The author's family has been involved in planning the new attraction, continuing a relationship between Dyreparken and Egner's work that stretches back decades.
A Major Investment In A Popular Destination
Construction of the new attraction officially began in September 2025. In keeping with the unusual theme, the groundbreaking ceremony was dubbed a tannstensnedleggelse, a playful dental twist on the traditional laying of a foundation stone.
Members of Egner's family attended the event, which also included a time capsule and a piece of tartar, or tannstein in Norwegian.
The ambitious project comes during a successful period for Dyreparken. The attraction welcomed a record 1,128,829 visitors in 2025, beating its previous record from 2021.
The park also celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2026, making the giant mouth project part of a wider period of development and investment.
It's a reminder that, although Norway is internationally famous for its natural attractions, domestic family tourism is an important part of the country's travel industry.
For many Norwegian families, visiting Dyreparken during the summer holidays has become a tradition passed down through generations.
When Will The Giant Mouth Open?
The new Karius and Baktus attraction is scheduled to open in spring 2027, although an exact opening date has not yet been announced.
It will be located close to Cardamom Town and the Huckybucky Forest, creating a dedicated area focused on Thorbjørn Egner's stories. Dyreparken says the indoor experience will be suitable for visitors of all ages.
For international tourists, the appeal may be as much about discovering Norwegian culture as enjoying the attraction itself.
Karius and Baktus might not be household names outside Scandinavia, but their story has shaped the childhood memories of millions of Norwegians. In 2027, visitors will have the unusual opportunity to experience that story from the inside. Quite literally.
