Philadelphia is home to much of our Nation’s history. From the founding in 1682 to the great cheesesteak debate Philly is bursting with history. (We did try some cheesesteaks, but won’t give away our opinion just yet.) Today, Philly has so much to offer tourists and locals through out the city. We don’t often think of movies filmed in our favorite cities when the word, “history,” comes to mind. However, the film Rocky made the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art infamous. (We didn’t have time to go inside, but we will in the future so look for that post to come.)
The steps seem daunting, but there are only 72. People from all over the world sprint up these steps, just like the famous boxer, every year.
There’s also a Rocky Statue. Commissioned in 1980 by Sylverter Stalone, the statue is 8.5 feet tall and made of bronze. After the filing of Rocky III, Stalone donated the statue to the city of Philadelphia. The statue moved around a bit, then found its current home at the base of the stairs to the right. You may miss the statue if it weren’t for the long line of people waiting to take a picture with the boxer.
The view from the top of the steps is incredible. You look straight down Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and see Eakins Oval. Eakins Oval has Washington Monument Fountain, and Benjamin Franklin Parkway has flags from around the world. Washington Monument was commissioned by Rudolf Siemering and dedicated in 1897. The statue was placed at Fairmount Park’s entrance then moved to Eakins Oval in 1928 after parkway construction was completed. The statue of Washington on his horse, is actually part of a fountain. FUN FACT: Washington’s face for the sculpture is actually made from a cast of our first President’s real face. The body of the statue is of a Prussian General, but the face is as accurate as you can wish for. The base of the fountain has animals and Native Americans, and on either side of the large statue are two smaller fountians.
If you get a chance, visit Philly. Try all the cheesesteaks, and let us know where you fall on the great debate. Make sure you run up the steps and pose like Rocky at the top.
See Yinz later!
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