As a kid, I only ever encountered a sock monkey once. I was unimpressed with the toy and found better things to play with. That changed when I visited the Sock Monkey Museum during our trip called Blown Away by Christmas in the Windy City.
This trip would be our first time exploring the city of Chicago. A year prior, we passed through the location on our way home, and I have always wanted a proper tour of this iconic American city. This Christmas, we did.
During research and planning for this trip, or any trip for that matter, there are always several places I would love to include, but because of timing, hours, or location, I have to sadly place a lot of what I want to see on the “Next Time List.” Sock Monkey Museum was supposed to be one of these locations.
Some factors led me to exclude this nostalgic museum from our planned itinerary. First, it was out of the way. The time to and from would not be worth it. Secondly, neither my wife nor I ever had a sock monkey. Yes, we were both familiar with these toys but never interested in them as kids.
But something nagged at me about seeing Sock Monkey Museum. This museum was unique. We have seen so many museums featuring so many different and even the same things, yet this one is the largest in the world. As we toured, I kept checking the time and our location. I kept trying to find a way to fit this into our trip.
Then it happened.
I said, “Let’s do it!”
I forgot about our scheduled itinerary and headed in the direction of the home to the most extensive collection of genuine sock monkeys.
Upon arrival, we paid our small admission and waited for an introduction. The guide was busy with another group, so we lingered around the gift show, noting all the monkeys hanging around. Once we got upstairs, where the majority of the collection is displayed, we learned what qualifies as a genuine sock monkey and the origins of the sock monkey toy. Literally made from socks, the monkey had to be from a particular brand of sock to be considered an actual sock monkey. There was a brief history of the sock company and even how they included instructions on making these and other animals from their socks. Even the type of stuffing inside mattered.
After our informative tour, we took the time to see the various styles of each hand-made monkey—yes, that is another qualification for being considered genuine: that they are to be hand-made. As we toured it all in, we felt nostalgic.
Are we getting old?
I never felt this new emotion called nostalgia until recently.
I remember only a year or two prior when I visited the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, where they had a display of the 1980s, and I first felt nostalgia. Seeing the toys and items from my childhood was weird and strangely comforting. The memories and fondness of the new devices that the 1980s brought. Ah, the good old days!
And yet, neither of us had a sock monkey in our lives. I even considered them ugly and, dare I say, stupid. But here we were, enjoying each individual design. Appreciating the time and effort that some mothers took to hand-make a stuffed toy for their children. Imagining all the time, the children considered it as a cherished plaything.
Nostalgia, even when it is not your own, is a warm and comforting feeling.
Sock Monkeys are happiness that can be held in one’s hand. Even though they were made from smelly socks and originated during the Great Depression, these creative uses of socks that would otherwise be discarded are a great act of love and kindness.
The central part of the museum is the upstairs. No bigger than a standard house, spending only five minutes in this location would be relatively easy. But the true value comes with taking time to see it all.
Charlene and I really loved this museum. Each monkey represented a child who grew up with a toy, and now some of those monkeys are on display for all visitors to enjoy.
- View All The Places We Have Been To map to see the location of Sock Monkey Museum.
- This location is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most genuine sock monkeys in one collection.
- As with every destination, there is value in taking time to stay and appreciating what is on display. The museum has only one theme, but it is worth seeing every one of those monkeys.
- This was an optional site we visited during Blown Away by Christmas in the Windy City.
