Rocky statue makes final move to top of Philadelphia Museum of Art steps

Philadelphia's iconic Rocky statue has a new home at the top of the Art Museum steps. The city-owned statue was moved Wednesday morning after spending several months inside the museum as part of an art exhibition.

The Philadelphia Art Commission voted in January 2026 to approve the statue's relocation to the top of the steps.

A crane lifted the statue into place as visitors gathered to watch the reveal. The crowd cheered as crews removed the final covering.

For some visitors, the move was a surprise.

"It was pretty interesting," Isaac Nieto of Bay City, Texas, said. "I didn't know it was even being moved. We Ubered to come see the steps. Right place, right time, I guess."

The Rocky statue was inside the museum from April through August for the exhibition. During that time, an identical statue on loan from actor Sylvester Stallone was at the top of the steps.

That statue has since been returned to Stallone, leaving Philadelphia's city-owned Rocky statue in place.

"To me, it's like the movie," Jeza DeWitt from Rédange, France, said. "So it's perfect. It cannot be more perfect for me."

The move also marks a change at the bottom of the steps.

Rocky previously stood at the base of the Art Museum steps, but that spot now belongs to Philadelphia boxing legend Joe Frazier.

Frazier's statue stood outside Stateside Live in South Philadelphia for 11 years before being moved to the Art Museum to give it greater visibility.

"I don't think Smokin' Joe's ever gotten the credit he deserves, so having him down there is really good," Rich Henkels from South Philadelphia said.

With both statues now in place, visitors are getting their cameras ready.

Rocky attracts about 4 million visitors each year and has become a symbol of determination for people from around the world.

For Mike DeWitt of Pendleton, Indiana, the statue represents the idea that anyone can overcome obstacles.

"How a little guy can overcome and get somewhere in life," he said.

Now, Rocky has a new view from the top of the steps.