The Real Rocky Steps

The 72 stone steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are popularly known as the "Rocky Steps" after Sylvester Stallone ran up them in the 1976 film. A bronze statue of Rocky was placed at the top during filming of Rocky III. After the Art Museum objected, it spent years outside the Spectrum sports arena in South Philadelphia, before being installed at the foot of the steps in 2006. In 2026, after a spring and summer exhibition inside the museum, the original statue was cleared to return permanently to the top of the steps.