Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Wisconsin Milwaukee The Bronze Fonz
AO Edited

The Bronze Fonz

Statue dedicated to the star of an old television show.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Added By
PaperTiger
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Ayyyyy.   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
  http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x74/chi...
6-10-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
6-10-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
  http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3224/281836...
  jlord7 / Atlas Obscura User
The bronze Fonze   jolennox / Atlas Obscura User
Ayyyyy!   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
August 2022  
  http://flowtv.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/...
Heeeyyyyy   Taterchips / Atlas Obscura User
Ayyyy   Taterchips / Atlas Obscura User
6-10-23.   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
  mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

After a group of interested citizens raised the $85,000 necessary to construct a giant bronze statue of Fonzie from the hit television series "Happy Days," thousands turned out to see its unveiling on the Wells Street bridge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The actor who portrayed Fonzie, Henry Winkler, made an appearance alongside sculptor Gerald Sawyer. "I just want to say, this is truly beautiful," said Winkler, according to a story reported by the Associated Press. "You can hear about it, you can talk about it, we had conversation through e-mail, but to see it in real life and that it exists, it's just unbelievable, it really is."

Several other stars from "Happy Days" attended the ceremony, including Anson Williams, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley, Erin Moran, Penny Marshall, and Cindy Williams. Garry Marshall, the show's co-creator address the crowd. "This is a great honor for all of us of the cast," he said. "But for me it's a great honor ... I made up a character but suddenly a man came named Henry Winkler and he made this character real. He made it real in your minds and in your living rooms and in your hearts ... and he made Fonzie a person who not only you wanted to watch but you wanted to put on your lunch box, your pajamas, your shirts, your hats and everything."

The sculpture that the group was celebrating is about life-size, standing five feet, six inches tall. The ceremony, though, went beyond the chunk of bronze on the bridge. Craig Culver of Culver's presented a $10,000 check to the Boys & Girls Club for its literacy program in honor of the charity work that Winkler has done with children.

Related Tags

Monuments Statues

Know Before You Go

Located on the east side of the Milwaukee River Walk, just south of Wells Street.

Community Contributors

Added By

PaperTiger

Edited By

bncrain, nbj914, Michael Busch, Taterchips...

  • bncrain
  • nbj914
  • Michael Busch
  • Taterchips
  • jolennox
  • mocchiatto
  • Darrell Powers
  • Jason Michael Walker
  • jlord7

Published

January 2, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • OnMilwaukee.com: "The Unveiling of the Bronze Fonz" (August 2008): http://www.onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/fonzpix.html
  • 620WYMJ NewsRadio: "The Bronze Fonz" (May 2009): http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/45321767.html
  • Wikipedia: Fonzie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fonzie
  • Yelp: Bronze Fonz: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bronze-fonz-milwaukee
  • CBS: The Early Show: "'The Fonz' In Bronze!" (August 2008): http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/19/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main4361844.shtml
The Bronze Fonz
N Riverwalk Way
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202
United States
43.040422, -87.910994
Get Directions

Nearby Places

SafeHouse

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

miles away

Ladybug Building

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

miles away

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Milwaukee

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

Places 26
Stories 8

Nearby Places

SafeHouse

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

miles away

Ladybug Building

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

miles away

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Milwaukee

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

Places 26
Stories 8

Related Stories and Lists

12 Quirky Treasures of Milwaukee

hidden

By Atlas Obscura

7 Incredible Monuments to Truly Ordinary Things

By juliegerstein

Related Places

  • Librarian with Donkey Monument

    Ürgüp, Turkey

    Librarian With the Donkey Monument

    A monument to the Turkish librarian who delivered books on the back of a donkey.

  • Lyon, France

    Saint Exupéry Monument

    This statue stands in honor of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the French author of 'The Little Prince' and an aviation hero.

  • Chuck and Snoopy

    Saint Paul, Minnesota

    Peanuts Gang Bronzes

    A tribute to Charles M. Schulz, who created the iconic cartoon that features Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and more.

  • A crowd of statues

    Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Garden of the Generalissimos

    A Taiwanese garden teems with the retired statues of the island's former dictator.

  • The Juneteenth Monument at Ashton Villa.

    Galveston, Texas

    Juneteenth Monument at Ashton Villa

    The statue, located at a mansion-turned-emancipation museum, honors Galveston’s history as the birthplace of Juneteenth.

  • Taken May 2024 -  Photographer Anna Duren

    Toyama, Japan

    Fureai Sekibutsu no Sato (Village of Statues)

    This abandoned park is home to hundreds of stone statues ranging from humans to mystical beings.

  • The Rakovac memorial from the knees up

    Poreč, Croatia

    Joakim Rakovac Memorial

    A monument to one of Croatia's famous freedom fighters.

  • Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Spomenik Francetu Prešernu

    When this monument to Slovenia's national poet was erected, it's said to have sparked the ire of nearby church authorities.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.