In 1976,Rockywas the top movie of the year. StarringSylvester Stallone, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, andTalia Shire, the film about scrappy Philadelphia boxerRocky Balboa(Stallone) raked in a box office total of $225 million globally, and became thehighest-grossing filmof 1976, perThe Numbers.
Rocky,which wonAcademy Awardsfor Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Director, was made on a small $1 million budget—and it made newcomer Stallone a star.
One of themost famous scenesinRockyis a training montage in which the beloved boxer runs through the streets of Philadelphia in preparation for his upcoming boxing match with Apollo Creed (Weathers). The famous scene culminates with Balboa bounding up the 72 steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the movie's theme song, Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now," plays.
But the scene wasn't originally planned as it was shown. During a 2025 appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,Stallone, 79, admitted he hadn't even thought about shooting a scene at the Philly landmark and didn't have a location permit.
"When I got to Philadelphia and did the movieRocky, I wasn't even thinking about the steps. We didn't have any money to shoot there. We didn't have the license," he told hostJimmy Fallon. "I just got out of the car, I said, 'Let me just run up the steps, get a shot of it, and we'll get out of here before the police come.' "
Stallone noted that his real-life dog, Butkus, who appeared in the film, was almost in the scene. "The first take, I said, 'Let me carry my dog up the steps,'" Stallone recalled. "My dog is a buffalo; it's a 130 lb. bull mastiff. I get halfway up, my knees buckle. We're like, 'Dog, out. Back in the car, pal.'"
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"Anyway, we did it, and it became a very famous scene," the actor added.
Sylvester Stallone was always 'fascinated' by steps
Stallone talked about the significance of the art museum steps scene in a 2021 interview posted byThe Philadelphia Inquirer on YouTube.
"Ever since I was 10 years old, I've always been fascinated with steps," the actor admitted. "I felt like you could see the whole world from up there, which basically you're seeing your own future. It's like look, this is what I have to survive and surpass to make a life. The symbolism on those steps …it's like unbelievable; it's like it's almost a pathway to your life. So that has always been an incredibly monumental image in my eyes. Plus it's so filled with challenges and symbolism, so people come, they're not running theRockysteps, they're running like the steps of their life. Like, this is. If he can do it, I can do it.'"
Fifty years after the firstRockyfilm—there would be five sequels and threeCreedspinoffs—the art museum steps remain a major tourist attraction in Philadelphia.
Per theVisit Phillywebsite, thousands of fans annually recreate the famous scene as they make the trek up the 72 "Rocky Steps" steps leading to the art museum entrance. Stallone also donated a bronze Rocky statue, which was created in 1980 by artist A. Thomas Schomberg for a scene inRocky III,to the City of Philadelphia.
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This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.
