Photo Courtesy of Midway Village Museum’s Facebook

Midway Village Museum is giving back to healthcare workers with its “Sock Monkey Nelson Loves Healthcare Heroes,” a free day of admissions for healthcare workers and their families, from 10 am to 4 pm on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, at the museum.

The free admission will include entry into the Main Museum Center to view the permanent exhibits and a preview of several of the recently acquired Camp Grant artifacts. Visitors will also enjoy Sock Monkey General Hospital, an activity station organized for well-loved sock monkey dolls in need of light mending or sewing repairs by a volunteer, from Noon to 4 pm.

The free day for healthcare workers also includes hourly guided gallery tours and a vintage Valentine’s Day craft. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the museum’s Sock Monkey Mascot and enter a gift drawing. Tours begin at 10 am, 11 am, Noon, 1 pm, 2 pm with the last tour at 3 pm. All activities are planned with social distancing protocols in place for the safety of everyone visiting the museum campus.

The guided tours are led by a history interpreter in period clothing and focus on Rockford history including stories about the Rockford Peaches, the iconic Sock Monkey and its relevance to the community and manufacturing, early immigration, and the impact of aviation in the city’s economy. Visitors also will learn additional stories of the past as they walk through the Many Faces, One Community gallery. This exhibit features stories of Rockford’s immigrants from 1834 to the present. Three new temporary exhibits are part of the tour highlighting early office technology, the Rockford IceHogs and the Korean War.

Advanced Reservations Encouraged

Visitors are encouraged to make advance reservations online at www.midwayvillage.com or call in-advance at 815-397-9112 and speak to a Front Desk representative.

Healthcare workers will be asked to show their employment ID when arriving when checking in at the Front Desk. Walk-ins are welcome and accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Any visitor without reservations including public guests and museum members should register at the Front Desk with a cashless point of sale system, on a first-come, first-served basis, with a possibility of a wait until the next hourly tour is available.

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