Joe Frazier Statue Moving To Philadelphia Museum Of Art

The boxing legend's statue will be relocated to the base of the museum's steps this spring.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The "Smokin'" Joe Frazier statue on Pattison Avenue in Philadelphia will be moved to the base of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps this spring, officials have confirmed. The statue, which debuted in 2015 outside Stateside Live!, will now sit where the Rocky statue previously stood for many years.

Why it matters

The relocation of the Frazier statue aims to increase public visibility, deepen educational opportunities, and create a respectful dialogue between two iconic Philadelphia figures - Rocky Balboa as a symbol of hard work and aspiration, and Joe Frazier as the embodiment of those values lived out in real life.

The details

The Philadelphia Art Commission and Creative Philadelphia are overseeing the $150,000 relocation project. The Frazier statue will be permanently affixed at the base of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, while the Rocky statue will be brought into the museum for a special exhibit called 'Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments'.

  • The Frazier statue will reach its new home at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this spring.
  • The Rocky statue will be permanently affixed at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps later this year after it is brought into the museum for a special exhibit.

The players

Joe Frazier

A boxing legend who moved to Philadelphia at age 15 in 1958 and is interred at Ivy Hill Cemetery in Northwest Philadelphia. He was the undisputed heavyweight champion in 1970, won gold at the 1964 Summer Olympics, and in 1971 became the first boxer to defeat Muhammad Ali.

Philadelphia Art Commission

The organization overseeing the relocation of the Frazier statue to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Creative Philadelphia

The organization working with the Philadelphia Art Commission on the Frazier statue relocation project.

Rocky Balboa

A fictional character from the Rocky film series, who has become a symbol of hard work and aspiration in Philadelphia.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The Rocky statue will be permanently affixed at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps later this year after it is brought into the museum for a special exhibit called 'Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments'.

The takeaway

The relocation of the Joe Frazier statue to the base of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps aims to honor the boxing legend's legacy and create a meaningful connection between two iconic representations of Philadelphia's spirit - the fictional Rocky Balboa and the real-life embodiment of hard work and aspiration in Joe Frazier.