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In Pictures: Add National Bobblehead Day to holiday celebration
By Tom Adkinson
December 30, 2022
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – Christmas and New Year’s Day are in the rearview mirror, but another celebration looms – National Bobblehead Day on Jan. 7. Yes, those darling plastic dolls, perhaps most famous as minor league baseball game giveaways, have their own special day thanks to the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee. The attraction, the wobbly brainchild of co-founders Phil Sklar and Brad Novak, opened in 2019 and houses thousands of caricatures of athletes, politicians, entertainers and even religious figures. The hall of fame portion of the attraction now has only one member – Pete Rose, who can’t get into a more traditional hall of fame – but Sklar anticipates additions in 2023 after museum members cast ballots.
Queen Elizabeth: Most popular in 2022
The death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 propelled her bobblehead doll to be one of the year’s top sellers, according to museum co-founder Phil Sklar. Others included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and homerun slugger Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. Image courtesy of Bobbleheadhall.com
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‘Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk’
Plenty of Hollywood stars appear at the Bobblehead Museum, but the Three Stooges probably are the act most appropriate to be here. Larry, Curly and Moe were vaudeville comedians who became movie celebrities for decades before bobblehead stardom. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Try to be solemn, but do smile
Theologians have pondered whether Jesus had a sense of humor, and it’s easy to find ones who make just that case. Considering how often Jesus expressed joy, it’s likely that this bobblehead would get a divine nod. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Gnash represents team mascots
Gnash, the big-toothed cat that is the mascot of the Nashville Predators hockey team, is one of many sports team mascots in the bobblehead collection. Minor league baseball teams were the impetus for museum co-founders Sklar and Novak to begin collection. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Get a history lesson from Gandhi
Numerous world leaders and historical figures are captured in bobblehead plastic, including Mahatma Gandhi, whose spirit of nonviolent civil disobedience has influenced millions of people around the world. Look through the collection for Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt and Mike Pence (complete with housefly). Image by Tom Adkinson |
The Fab Four in plastic
John, Paul, George and Ringo have a special place in a timeline of bobblehead history in a display at the National Bobblehead Museum and Hall of Fame. They are among hundreds of entertainment industry figures you will see as you roam the aisles of museum. Image by Tom Adkinson |
Trip-planning resources: BobbleheadHall.com and VisitMilwaukee.org
(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available on Amazon.com.)
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