The Philadelphia Art Commission has approved moving the famous Rocky statue to the top of the Philadelphia Art Museum’s steps. Four commissioners voted in favor of the move, one voted against it, and one abstained.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the project has an estimated budget of $150,000 to $250,000, with initial figures around $150,000. The work includes placing the statue on a pedestal roughly 14 feet back from the top step edge, near the existing shoe-print artwork.
As part of the plan, Creative Philadelphia will create a “Rocky Shuttle” to assist visitors with mobility from the bottom to the top of the steps, operated by the Philadelphia Visitor Center and modeled after the Philly Phlash bus service.
A new statue will be installed at the bottom of the steps, according to the Inquirer report, although its identity has not yet been determined. Officials noted it will not be another Rocky statue.
Public opinion on the statue relocation has been divided. In a September 2025 Inquirer poll, 46% of respondents said no Rocky statue belongs at the top of the steps, but the one at the bottom should stay. Approximately 20% said the city should not have a statue of Rocky at all.