Rocky is going back where he belongs - atop the steps at the Philadelphia Art Museum.
As The Philadelphia Inquirer said, “Yo Adrian, they did it.”
Four members of the Art Commission voted to return the statue of Rocky Balboa with his hands held high over his head, to the place the statue, near where it used to be, at the top of the steps Sylvester Stallone ran up in the iconic movie, “Rocky.”
The commission voted four to one with one abstention, KYW reported.
“For Stallone, Rocky’s ascent to the top of the steps is symbolic of Philadelphia, a city where an underdog can become a champion through hard work, determination, and hustle,” the Association for Public Art says on its website.
The tribute to Philadelphia’s favorite son was commissioned by Stallone for the 1982 film “Rocky III” and used in the film, the Inquirer said.
The statue was moved to the bottom of the steps in 2006.
About four million people visit the statue every year.
“I believe it’s one of Philadelphia’s most meaningful monuments, and I believe we should just get him out of the bushes and put him up top,” Commissioner Rebecca Segall said at the meeting where the vote was held.
Before it is moved, there will be an exhibit that the statue will be part of — “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments” — which will run from April until August. The statue will be inside for the first time for the exhibit.
A different statue is at the top of the steps and will remain there while the original is inside for the exhibition. Then, once it is over, the one currently at the top will go back into Stallone’s private collection. He had lent it to the city for RockyFest in December 2024, WCAU reported.
It will be set about 14 feet from the top step, next to Rocky’s shoe prints that are embedded in the stone walkway. A shuttle will be available for those with mobility issues who cannot go up all of the steps.
Another statue will be put at the bottom of the steps, but what monument it will be has not been determined, WCAU reported.
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