Mental Floss

A Shop Selling Nothing But Rocky Merch Has Opened in Philly

Tourists can get their hands on Rocky gear when visiting the Rocky statue.

Jake Rossen|
Yo, act now while supplies last.
Yo, act now while supplies last. | Courtesy of Julian Griffin-Moore via Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation

With apologies to Gritty, Rocky Balboa is Philadelphia’s favorite fictional resident. Created by Sylvester Stallone and introduced in 1976’s Rocky, the boxer and street philosopher has long been synonymous with the city. And now fans visiting the famous steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that Rocky used for cardio can cap off the experience by stopping into a Rocky gift shop.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Rocky Shop opened in October in an ideal location: just a quick stroll from the museum, which attracts an estimated 4 million fans annually looking to recreate the character’s many sprints up its 72 stairs. It’s also home to the Rocky statue seen in 1982’s Rocky III.

Inside The Rocky Shop are hats, shirts, action figures, trunks, boxing robes, and even a replica of the tiger-emblazoned silk jacket that marked a new low in the character’s sartorial choices. (In 1979’s Rocky II, if you’re keeping track.)

The Rocky Shop is pictured
Courtesy of Julian Griffin-Moore via Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation

Stallone conceived of the shop a few years ago: It got the blessing of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, which gets a percentage of sales to help fund the operations of the Center. Stallone also contributed $100,000 toward its construction.

“This has been years in the making,” Kathryn Ott Lovell, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center, told CBS. “This came after a phone call that Sylvester Stallone made to the mayor many years ago. The millions of visitors that visit the Rocky statue annually—how do we give them the chance to take a piece of Rocky home with them?”

The Rocky Shop is pictured
Courtesy of Julian Griffin-Moore via Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation

Rocky has appeared in a total of eight movies, beginning with the 1976 original and taking a bow in 2018’s Creed II. Stallone has declared that was his final appearance s Balboa, though he’s expressed that sentiment before.

The Rocky Shop is part of the Parkway Outpost Visitor Center. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Stallone also maintains an online shop featuring collectibles from the Rambo and Expendables franchises. It may be the only place to find a Rambo coloring book.

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