Original 'Rocky' Statue To Stay In Philly As Stallone Reverses Course

PHILADELPHIA — Sylvester Stallone must have been visited by the ghosts of three Philadelphians overnight, as the Hollywood star has reportedly changed his stance on Philadelphia keeping the original "Rocky" statue.

The Philadelphia Art Commission Wednesday held a meeting on the statue's future, which included a request from Stallone to return the original statue, gifted to the city by the star himself after the release of "Rocky III," and swapping it with an identical replica loaned to the city in 2024 for Rocky Fest.

However, due to public outcry over the original statue possibly being removed from Philadelphia, Stallone has reversed course, Philadelphia Chief Cultural Officer Valerie Gay said Wednesday.

"Mr. Stallone has graciously decided that we will no longer move forward with the proposed statue swap," Gay said. "This outcome reflects our shared commitment to listening deeply to the community and doing what is best for both the art and the people who cherish it."

The Rocky statue was created by A. Thomas Schomberg. Schomberg made three identical bronze casts of the statue from the same mold.

Two of these cast statues are at the museum, one at the bottom of the steps and one at the top of the steps. The statue at the top is the loaned replica, while the lower statue is the original.

Officials were looking to keep the newly loaned statue permanently at the top of the steps and relocate it back from the steps. The original statute would have been included in an exhibition in the museum in Spring 2026, then returned to Stallone's private collection as part of a legal agreement.

"By permanently locating Rocky at the top of the steps, the City is seeking to restore the statue to its intended setting, where it was first introduced to the public," Gay and Philadelphia Public Art Director Marguerite Anglin said in a letter to Katherine Liss, Director of the Philadelphia Art Commission. "For many people, this location on the Rocky steps is inseparable from the story of the statue. The image of Rocky Balboa, arms raised in victory at the top of the steps, is one of Philadelphia’s most iconic and enduring symbols."

The Commission Wednesday voted to give concept approval to the relocation of the City-owned statue to the top of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps.

This means the proposal will return for another Art Commission meeting, where the proposal will be evaluated for final approval.

Officials said the meeting could be held as early as Jan. 14, 2026.

The statue that would be at the top of the steps is the one that is located at the bottom of the steps, the original statue.

"This project is about more than relocating a sculpture," Gay and Anglin wrote in the letter. "It’s about elevating an artwork that, for decades, has symbolized perseverance, aspiration, and the resilience of the human spirit. These are values that resonate deeply in our city and with the 4 million visitors who engage with this artwork each year."