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Stallone Backs Off Swap as Philly Moves to Install Original Rocky at Art Museum Steps

The plan ties to a 2026 museum exhibition, now awaiting Art Commission sign-off following requests for accessibility measures.

Overview

  • Philadelphia’s Art Commission granted conditional concept approval and set a final review for Jan. 14 after a mixed vote.
  • Sylvester Stallone agreed the city will keep the original statue, with his replica returning to his collection.
  • The original will appear inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art during the April–August 2026 exhibition "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments" before a planned permanent placement at the top of the steps.
  • Commissioners asked for concrete accessibility plans, including options such as a shuttle to the top of the steps, before issuing final approval.
  • Creative Philadelphia estimated the project at about $150,000, citing the statue’s roughly 4 million annual visitors and a goal to leave only one Rocky at the museum, with a different city-owned work at the base.