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The Rocky statue shuffle is on again. This time for good.
The city announced this morning that access to one of Philadelphia’s most popular tourist attractions will be blocked off till the end of the month, starting this Friday.
During that time, the sculpture of Sylvester Stallone’s iconic fictional boxer Rocky Balboa will be moved out from the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s steps to be replaced by the original version that’s been on show in the museum since April.
The Rocky that has been at the top of the steps has been a loaner, provided by Stallone since 2024 for the inaugural Rocky Fest.
Artist A. Thomas Schomberg made three sculptures, commissioned for “Rocky III” in 1980. The one that was used as a prop in the movie had been standing next to the museum steps since 2006, drawing an estimated 4 million tourists each year.
In April, it was finally invited into the museum to showcase the “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments” exhibition, signifying the end of a tenuous relationship with the art institution that many never thought would thaw out.
The exhibition was curated by Paul Farber, director and co-founder of Monument Lab and host of WHYY’s “The Statue” podcast, which details the history and issues surrounding the artwork.
In January 2025, the Philadelphia Art Commission gave final approval for the original statue’s temporary shift into the museum and eventual permanent placement at the top of the museum steps, replacing Stallone’s loaner. Stallone had originally wished to switch which statue he would get back, but changed his decision after public outcry.
For those who’ve been keeping count, Philly has three Rocky statues. The third was unveiled at Philadelphia International Airport last November and will remain a permanent fixture in Terminal A-West, between Gates A15 and 16.
The Rocky in front of the museum steps was a popular meeting point for soccer fans during this summer’s FIFA World Cup games in Philly, though some weren’t made aware of the curse that comes with putting a non-Philly sports team’s shirt on the statue.
In February, the commission also approved Creative Philadelphia’s proposal to move the statue of Philly’s nonfictional heavyweight champion, “Smokin” Joe Frazier, from outside Xfinity Live! in South Philly to the space beside the steps where Rocky was. Frazier’s statue was moved in June. That statue portrays Frazier’s knockout punch in his victory over Muhammad Ali in 1971’s “Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden.
The city said that the museum steps will remain open to the public during the Rocky statue moves, but the access to the statue will be closed off while conservators work. After the Rocky currently in place is removed, construction work will be done to create an underground foundation before the permanent Rocky is placed in. The permanent Rocky will sit about 14 feet from the actual steps, closer to the museum’s front entrance, to provide more room for the tourists around it.
The city said the whole process should be done by the end of September, well before the 50th anniversary of the first Rocky film’s release date on Dec. 3. The Philadelphia Visitor Center has a full slate of events planned for this year’s milestone Rocky Fest, and this year’s Rocky Run is on Nov. 14.
