OMAHA, Neb. - A blue troll that guards Omaha’s Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge has been sitting at the base of the bridge since last year. Now he’s starting to get a backstory thanks to Visit Omaha.

The troll, a blue statue that has been named “Omar” has been part of riverfront upgrades that the local tourism group has been planning for months. With the upgrades and increased foot traffic, interest has grown in Omar, and Visit Omaha decided to give the popular figure an origin story.

People can learn more about Omar thanks to an interactive display. Omar was created as a way to increase engagement and excitement about the riverfront pedestrian bridge.

Three signs on the bridge have codes that link videos that feature the troll. Visit Omaha recently translated those videos into Spanish.

Officials estimate that in 2019, about 1 million people used the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge.