How the Gnomes Stay on the Map

Tracking gnomes isn’t as easy as it sounds. Especially when they don’t like to stay put.

This whole thing started as a weird idea and a handful of concrete gnomes. They were cast, tagged with a QR code, and left in the wild. The idea was simple: let people find them, move them, and check in with their new location. But the moment a few gnomes actually got picked up and relocated, I realized: I needed a system.

The Challenge

How do you keep track of 60+ concrete gnomes, each with its own personality and journey? And how do you make it fun—not just for me, but for the people who stumble onto the project?

The answer ended up being a mix of Google Maps, dynamic pages, and a surprising amount of trial and error.

The Setup

Each gnome now has its own dedicated page on the site, powered by dynamic data. When someone scans a QR code on a gnome’s base, it takes them to a landing page with that gnome’s name, some background, a personal map showing where it's been, and a form they can use to log a move.

All of that feeds into a submissions database. Each new entry updates the gnome’s story and builds a trail of where it’s been.

To give people a big-picture view, I also created a master map—a kind of central command. It shows the current known location of every gnome on a single, clean interface. No routes, no history lines—just a simple, color-coded marker for each active or sleeping gnome.

It’s not automated (yet). When I get a new submission, I update the master map manually and rehost it through Netlify. It’s a bit of a dance, but it works.

The Why

This project was never just about statues. It was about the ripple effect of curiosity. You find something unexpected, it makes you pause, and suddenly you’re part of a story. The maps and dynamic pages don’t just keep the system organized—they help tell that story.

Plus, if I’m being honest, I kind of love the technical side of it. Learning how to wire all of this up, solve weird problems, and build something flexible has been a satisfying challenge.

A Final Note (and a little fun)

And sometimes, the gnomes do things on their own.