Rocky Steps and the Rocky statue myth

The steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art became known as the "Rocky Steps" after the 1976 film Rocky used the museum's exterior steps for the character's training run. A bronze Rocky statue made for the film was installed at various locations over time and was returned to the museum plaza in 2006, fueling the popular belief that the statue and steps are the original, unchanged film site. The site has spawned rituals like photographing the run and touching the statue's feet, practices treated as popular folklore rather than historical fact.