Rockford, Illinois: Home of the Sock Monkey

The Midway Village & Museum Center is a hodgepodge of attractions ranging from a dollhouse museum to an aviation exhibit. An offbeat exhibit at the Village is: "The Missing Link: Socks, Monkeys and Rockford's Industrial Past."

According to the Village's website: "The first part of the exhibit looks at the invention of the seamless sock knitting machine and the hosiery industry that was once an important Rockford industry. The famous Nelson Red Heel sock was made right here in Rockford and is the sock used to make the world famous monkey doll. The second part of the exhibit investigates the history of the monkey doll and its place in our culture. This exhibit houses a diverse and unique collection of sock monkeys including Nelson, our seven foot sock monkey. See the sock monkey used in the patent litigation that won Rockford its 'Home of the Sock Monkey' title."