Rocky’s Final Run Up the Art Museum Steps

The Rocky statue has been playing musical chairs between the top, bottom, and inside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It’s now taking its permanent spot at the top of the Art Museum steps. It’s been 50 years since the first “Rocky” movie debuted, and the statue of the fictional boxer is still a place of pilgrimage and a symbol of pride for Philadelphians. As the statue gets comfortable in its new home, we’re revisiting a conversation between host Trenae Nuri and Paul Farber, co-founder of Monument Lab, host of WHYY's The Statue, and the curator of Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments, who explains why people are so fixated on Rocky and why monuments continue to matter in our culture. This episode originally aired on April 23, 2026.  Our newsletter has Philly news & events in your inbox every weekday morning. Call or text us: 215-259-8170 Instagram: @citycastphilly Support our show and get great perks as a City Cast Philly Neighbor: membership.citycast.fm Advertise on the podcast or in the newsletter: citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: AACR GPHCC Dine Latino Chase