Rocky Statue Moves to Top of Philly Art Museum Steps

Philadelphia's most famous underdog is climbing to the top.

The city's Art Commission voted Wednesday to permanently move the Rocky statue from the base of the Art Museum steps to the summit. Fans have been snapping photos with the bronze boxer at ground level since 1982, but now they'll need to earn their selfie by running up all 72 steps just like Rocky did.

The move settles a decades-long debate about where the statue belongs. Some argued it was just a movie prop that didn't deserve museum placement, while fans insisted Rocky represents Philadelphia's fighting spirit and belongs exactly where he threw his victory punches in the film.

Before reaching its final home, the statue will make history with its first-ever indoor appearance. The museum will showcase the bronze legend as part of a special exhibit in April, giving visitors an up-close look at the cultural icon that's inspired millions of underdogs worldwide.

Come August, the original statue will stand nearly 14 feet above the museum steps. The loaner Rocky that's been filling in will head back to Sylvester Stallone himself, completing its tour of duty.

Why This Inspires

Rocky's journey to the top mirrors the character's own story. The statue started as a movie prop that critics dismissed, spent years in what some saw as an inferior location, and now claims the champion's spot it always deserved.

For the countless tourists, cancer survivors, athletes, and dreamers who've made the pilgrimage to those steps, this feels like justice. They've been running up and throwing their arms high at the summit for 40 years because that's where Rocky's spirit lives, not at the bottom.

The move honors what Rocky really means to Philadelphia and beyond: proof that underdogs can reach the top if they keep climbing.

Now everyone who makes the climb will find Rocky waiting at the summit, arms raised, reminding them they made it too.