The Rocky statue overlooks the city skyline outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Tassanee Vejpongsa/AP
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Tassanee Vejpongsa/AP
An iconic bronze statue of fictional heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa will be featured inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the first time, beginning Saturday, to commemorate the original film’s 50th anniversary.
The statue of Philadelphia’s hard-hitting native son, portrayed by actor Sylvester Stallone, has stood outside of the historic art museum for more than 20 years, according to NPR member station WHYY.
Its move indoors is part of the museum’s latest exhibition, Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments, which includes more than 150 pieces of art by dozens of artists and features artifacts more than 2000 years old.
“Blending the worlds of art, sports, and popular culture, Rising Up will take on the life of monuments by exploring the profound meanings and mythologies of the Rocky statue,” the museum said on its website.
“Through the lens of the Rocky statue, a monument that is inextricably linked with both the art museum and Philadelphia itself, Rising Up will explore how monuments are made and remade by artists, by communities, and by time, opening the door for conversations on deeper themes of memory, identity, power, and representation in public art.”
The Rocky statue, depicting the boxer’s gloved hands raised in triumph, has become as integral to Philadelphia’s cultural currency as the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall.
Originally a prop left behind after filming the third movie of the franchise in 1982, Rocky III, it has long been embraced by fans.
But for years, the statue was at the center of heated debate in the art world over concerns that a movie prop did not fit the bill to be considered legitimate art. Its display in the renowned museum marks a turn in how the definition of art can change and grow.
“The Rocky statue is the most visited and photographed public artwork in Philadelphia, attracting nearly as many annual visitors as the Statue of Liberty,” deputy director of curatorial affairs and conservation Louis Marchesano said in a statement. “Rising Up is an opportunity for the art museum to reframe the narrative around Rocky and the steps, placing it in the context of Philadelphia’s civic and cultural identity.”
The exhibition will be on display through Aug. 2.
