First Soxanne “The Rockford Sock Monkey Bobblehead” Unveiled

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and Midway Village Museum unveiled the first Soxanne, The Rockford Sock Monkey bobblehead, which is a replica of the fiberglass statue located at Midway Village Museum in Rockford, Illinois, which is considered the “Home of the Sock Monkey”. The bobblehead was produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in collaboration with Midway Village Museum, and they arrived just in time for the holiday shopping season. Proceeds from the sales of the bobblehead will be used to help cover the costs of Soxanne’s winter restoration.

The Soxanne bobblehead is sitting on a gray boulder surrounded by grass and giving a friendly wave. A sign on the boulder reads: “Soxanne … Midway Village Museum … Rockford, IL … Home of the Sock Monkey.” Just in time for holiday shopping, the bobbleheads are in stock and ready to ship. The bobbleheads cost $35 each, plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. The bobbleheads are available at Midway Village Museum in Rockford, in our online store and at Midway Village Museum’s online store. Each bobblehead is individually numbered. Only 2,024 of these collector bobbleheads have been made.

Rockford, Illinois, was once home to multiple sock factories that outfitted soldiers during World War I. Three knitting companies made brown socks with a tan toe, top, and heel. The Nelson Knitting Company, in a way to stand out from the pack, used red yarn for their heels. During the Great Depression, thrifty mothers used those red-heeled socks to make dolls for their children. The Nelson Knitting Company began including instructions for making the dolls in each package of socks. In 1955, the company bought a patent for the design of the sock monkey, which is now a symbol of Rockford’s history of industrial manufacturing.

Now, Rockford proudly proclaims itself as “Home of the Sock Monkey.” Each March, the annual Sock Monkey Madness Festival, a celebration of all things related to the children’s toy with the iconic red smile, takes place at Midway Village Museum. There are interactive exhibits where visitors can make their own sock monkeys, and themed games and crafts for families and kids. Midway Village Museum hosts a special exhibit dedicated to sock monkeys officially titled “The Missing Link: Socks, Monkeys and Rockford’s Industrial Past.” One of the museum’s major attractions is its seven-foot sock monkey named Nelson. In addition to Soxanne, who greets visitors to the museum, there are at least a dozen different fiberglass sock monkey statues throughout the Rockford area. Erected in 2008, Soxanne and the others were commissioned by the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to celebrate Rockford’s connection to the sock monkey’s origins.

Midway Village Museum’s Marketing Director, Luke Fredrickson, said, “Midway Village Museum, celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, is proud to team up with The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum to share this iconic symbol of Rockford, Illinois. So many guests have pictures taken standing next to the greater than life-size statue and now will have the opportunity to have one to take home as a reminder of their visit.”

“As Rockford natives, Brad and I are very excited to team up with Midway Village Museum to unveil the first bobblehead featuring Rockford’s very own Soxanne the Sock Monkey,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “This bobblehead will be the perfect way for sock monkey fans to show off their love for the iconic toy and for people in the Rock River Valley and visitors to Midway Village Museum to own a replica of the statue that greets every visitor.”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1^st. St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1^st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Midway Village Museum:

Midway Village is Rockford’s History Museum and includes a historic village that uses living history to transport visitors to Rockford in the era of 1890-1910. This historic village includes more than 20 turn-of-the-century buildings and 11 historical gardens. The Museum Center features Sock Monkey history, along with other interactive exhibits on the iconic Rockford Peaches, Camp Grant, and the early history of industrial development and immigration in the Rockford area.