The Rocky Steps & Other Philadelphia Sights

The Rocky Steps started it all. This is the name given to the front steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I learned about them when I came across an article on a book written about the people who climbed them. They are well known for the role they played in a famous scene in the film Rocky, in which the fighter, played by Sylvester Stallone, runs up the steps to the accompaniment of the song, "Gonna Fly Now." Visitors to the museum can often be seen mimicking Rocky's famous run up the front steps. I did not plan to run up the steps but I was hoping I would see others do so ... and, oh yes, tour the museum as well. I was not disappointed.

Looking up the address of the museum, I saw that the Rodin Museum was nearby. We decided to add this to our itinerary. But, before starting out, we stopped for lunch. Since I like dogs, The White Dog Cafe already had my "let's try" approval. Loved the doggie lamp and all the doggie paintings on the walls.


The Rodin Museum was the gift of movie theater magnate Jules Mastbaum (American, 1872–1926) to the city of Philadelphia. Mastbaum began collecting works by Rodin in 1923 with the intent of founding a museum to enrich the lives of his fellow citizens. Just three years later, he had assembled the largest collection of Rodin's works outside Paris.

This was the first time I had seen Rodin's work in person and it was a wonderful experience. It's difficult to explain the emotional impact of being face to face with work that one has only seen in books. Just as we were leaving we had the added pleasure of listening to this docent give her lecture on Rodin. She was so well-informed and entertaining, that we re-toured the museum with her.

Next stop, the "steps." This is what I found at the top of them. It was an interesting feeling stepping onto Rocky's footprints and no, I did not do the dance, but I saw a few who did.

When I was studying art history in college, I learned that those lightly veined white marble Greek statues that appear in every history of art book were painted. Maybe they looked like the statues in this frieze at the PMA?

On our way back to our hotel room, we passed an arched entrance to a school. It's the first time I have seen Michelangelo's name split in two and the first part spelled Michael, not Michel.