Bo-oi-oi-oing: Wisconsin is Bobblehead Country

Did you know that Wisconsin is home to the world’s largest collection of a popular staple of American culture? If you’re nodding vigorously right now, then you know that the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Milwaukee.

Bobbleheads aren’t an American original. They date back to the 17th century, when figurines called “temple nodders” depicting the Buddha and other religious figures were made in Asia. But they really hit their stride in the United States beginning in the 1950s. Then, in 1960, Major League Baseball made one for each team, and later for a few specific players. That’s when things really began to pick up. Soon, other sports, cartoon characters, and even the Beatles were getting in on the act.

Their popularity waned in the 1970s, but there was a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s when manufacturing advances made them cheaper to produce. Since then, public figures, big and small, have been immortalized with a head-nodder. And collectors have spent countless hours waiting in line hoping to get their hands on the latest drop.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 2014, but the story starts in 2004, when Co-Founders Brad Novak and Phil Sklar began collecting bobblehead dolls. Gradually, their collection grew to over a thousand, and in 2014 they got the idea to find a permanent home for it. One thing led to another, and in 2017 they opened a brick-and-mortar location in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point area.

It is the only bobblehead-specific museum in the world, now with over 10,000 figures from pretty much everywhere.

The collection is the main attraction of the museum, but there’s more to it than that. They have exhibits on bobblehead history, how they’re made, and more. Their site also serves as a resource for people with the bobblehead-collecting bug, where they learn about releases and can interact on message boards. Beyond that, they also manufacture custom bobbleheads.

How do we know? Because they made a bobblehead for our Drink Wisconsinbly mascot, Happy.

You can learn more about the museum at their website. If you want to visit, it’s open seven days a week: Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5.

If you haven’t had enough head bobbing at that point, swing by the DW Pub for a Brandy Old Fashioned slushy while you’re in the general vicinity. You’re sure to happily nod your head in approval like people do when they do in TV commercials after tasting something yummy.