Rocky Statue To Stay in Philadelphia After Stallone Decision

It looks like the Rocky statue will keep his home in Philadelphia after all.

Smithsonian magazine reported that actor Sylvester Stallone, who played the title character of Rocky Balboa in the film series, had requested the return of his original sculpture created for the film series. Following public outcry, Stallone reversed his decision and agreed to let Philadelphia keep it. Now, the city will give him a different version of the same sculpture — and move the original sculpture to a new location.

According to Smithsonian, in 1980, Stallone commissioned sculptor Auldwin Thomas Schomberg to create the sculpture for Rocky III (1982). In Rocky III, the statue is unveiled during a ceremony at the Philadelphia Art Museum.

After the film debuted, Stallone gave the statue to the city. Since then, it has been moved to various locations throughout Philadelphia, standing most recently at the base of the steps leading up to the Philadelphia Art Museum. It's occupied that location since 2006, serving as a popular photo spot for tourists and residents.

In 2017, Stallone purchased another version of the statue at auction for roughly $400,000, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Commissioned around 2006, it had been on display in the San Diego Hall of Champions. Stallone kept the duplicate in his personal collection until December 2024, when he loaned it to the city for RockyFest. The duplicate sculpture has remained at the top of the Philadelphia Art Museum's steps since the event.

A third version of the Rocky sculpture was recently unveiled at Philadelphia International Airport.

According to Smithsonian, Stallone inquired whether the city might consider giving him back the original 1980 statue and keeping the loaner replica sculpture.

“He asked for it back, for reasons I don't know,” Valerie Gay, the city's chief cultural officer, told Philadelphia magazine on Dec. 9. “And we are happy to respect his wishes. We are extremely happy to have him swap it out with this other statue.”

Stallone, however, decided to reverse course on his decision.

“In response to the strong and heartfelt feedback from the public, Mr. Stallone has graciously decided that we will no longer move forward with the proposed statue swap,” Gay said at a meeting on Dec. 10, as reported by Nick Kariuki for Billy Penn at WHYY. “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.”