The Sock Monkey Museum

More fun than a barrel of … well, you know. The Sock Monkey Museum in Long Grove, Illinois, offers a fun destination for fans of these cuddly stuffed toys that have been around for generations. The museum’s collection spans more than 2,300 handcrafted sock dolls and is the largest on the planet, as certified by Guinness World Records. 

Sock monkeys of all eras are displayed in charming vignettes throughout the museum’s two floors. They hang from the rafters, perch in fake trees, swing from the chandelier and ride a rotating 7-foot Ferris wheel. Many of them are dressed in their finest attire. 

Scattered among the monkeys are interactive educational exhibits on the history of socks and sock monkeys, socks in popular culture and quirky facts about socks. A sewing room for DIY sock-monkey-making workshops, a snack shop called the Monkey Bar, a party room and gift shop are also on-site. 

All this monkey business began in 2006 when founder Arlene Okun’s husband, Michael, gave her a sock monkey as a gift. She thought it was adorable and started collecting them. By 2019, the couple’s home was overrun with sock monkeys, so they decided to open a museum.

Most sock monkeys were handcrafted from a pair of Rockford Red Heel socks. One heel becomes the smile, and the other, the derriere. These seamless brown-and-tan work socks were produced by the Nelson Knitting Co., established in Rockford, Illinois, in the 1880s. The monkeys were an inexpensive toy that mothers could easily sew for their children.

The Okuns also have an affection for real-life primates. The couple donates a portion of each museum entrance fee to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, a home for rescued chimps in Cle Elum, Washington. 210 Robert Parker Coffin Rd., Long Grove, Illinois 60047, 847/748-1155, sockmonkeymuseum.com