The famed Rocky statue is getting a new home — not far from its current location.
The Philadelphia Art Commission voted Wednesday to relocate the iconic statue, which has been on display at the bottom of the museum’s famous steps since 2006, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. But, its not going far, only to the top of the steps made famous by the movie.
The statue remains a popular tourist spot, with fans eagerly re-creating the victorious run.
The statue that will be relocated is the original from the filming of the 1982 film, Rocky III. A replica of the statue owned by Sylvester Stallone, who played Rocky, has sat at the top of the steps in recent years, marking the iconic spot.
The commission plans to relocate the statue this fall, while the replica will be returned to Stallone, Fox 29 reported.
The process leading to Wednesday’s vote involved months of discussion and debate among city officials, art commissioners and the public. Commissioners hope the move will bring more people inside the art museum, instead of just visiting its steps.
“The public will decide ultimately how successful this is, but what we have the opportunity now with this move is to create different stories to create different opportunities for people to tell their story to enliven the art that is all around us that most people don’t see,” Valerie Gay, the chief cultural officer for the city, said.
While city officials are hopeful it will draw in more visitors to the museum, some locals expressed disappointment in the change.
James Resnick, who is known for running 1,000 laps at the steps in 40 hours, told Fox he would prefer the statue stay where it’s been.
“I would say leave it where it is because it represents the iconic mess…I’m much more comfortable there on the bottom because it keeps you grounded and keeps you humble.”
However, others were excited about the move and how it would highlight the art inside the museum.
“I think that it’s excellent and it’s going to be some actual art here and I think people will come and still take pictures with it and its progress,” Tramar Roberts told the news station.
The exact date for when the statue will be moved is still up in the air. Officials hope to move the statue inside the museum for some time this spring before it finds its new home at the top of the steps this fall, according to the reports.
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