Like most mid-sized cities, Rockford, Illinois is home to an art museum, a natural history museum, and a children’s museum. What visitors don’t expect is a quartet of 12-foot stone statues that have been likened to stone gladiators, petrified robots, and golems that will spring to life at any moment to defend the town of Rockford from invaders.
The Rockmen Guardians were created by artist Terese Agnew in the late 1980s. Agnew crafted the Rockmen from several large boulders, with the help of a team of assistants. The Rockmen are stationed on an unassuming patch of land on the Rock River Recreational Bike Path. Visitors are often taken aback in the most playful way when they round the bend during a leisurely bike ride and see a group of giant stone statues holding spears and swords.
The best way to view the Rockmen Guardians is by paying a visit to Sinississipi Park—where the Rock River Recreational Bike Path is located—to view the Rockmen up-close. Visitors can also rent a kayak to see the Rockmen from the Rock River. The Rockmen Guardians have their backs turned towards the water, so it is best to view them on land if you want a clear view of their faces.
Another curious attraction in Rockford is the Midway Village Museum, which features an exhibit about the invention of the sock monkey. In the late 1800s, Rockford was home to a robust knitting industry. Red heeled socks eventually morphed into sock monkeys, and Rockford, Illinois became known as the Home of the Sock Monkey. Visitors can view sock monkey memorabilia, such as a 7-foot sock monkey.
The Midway Village Museum also features an exhibit about the Rockford Peaches—a female baseball team started in 1943 by Cubs Owner Philip K. Wrigley. Wrigley wanted to keep baseball booming when a sizable portion of men in the United States were fighting in World War II, so he started the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Visitors can view photos, posters, and uniforms that celebrate the life and times of the Rockford Peaches.
A stop to see the Rockmen Guardians is an excellent addition to any great Midwestern road trip. Standing in the shadow of the Rockmen Guardians is certainly worth a detour. Rockford, Illinois is an excellent place to spend a quirky morning or afternoon seeing a handful of curious sculptures and bits of history that you simply won’t see anywhere else.
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