Forever Marilyn sculpture relocation to Downtown Park starts Sunday
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - The relocation process for the "Forever Marilyn" sculpture from its current location into the Downtown Park in Palm Springs will start on Sunday, officials said.
Forever Marilyn will move less than 100 feet from its location on Museum Way.
The move will cost the city $500,000 and comes after a three-year legal battle from a group over various issues surrounding the sculpture's current location along Museum Way. The lawsuit was settled in August after the city council voted to relocate the sculpture.
Officials said Marilyn is expected to be fully installed in the Downtown Park by Friday, February 28.
“We look forward to Forever Marilyn having a permanent home in Palm Springs so we can reflect on all the positive attention she brings to our community, “ said Peggy Trott, Chair of PS Resorts, a nonprofit group comprised of several hotels that own the sculpture. “In 2024 alone, the statue welcomed more than 996,033 visitors. From social media posts to neighborhood group discussions, the outpouring of love for Forever Marilyn has been incredible. It will be wonderful to focus solely on all the happiness she brings to the residents and visitors of Palm Springs moving forward.”
According to PS Resorts, research conducted in 2021 by Moore Information Group among Palm Springs resident voters shows overwhelming support of Forever Marilyn. The independent study's results revealed that 86% agree the statue will be a fun and free attraction for visitors and residents of Palm Springs, and 75% agree the statue will help promote Palm Springs around the world as a fun destination to visit.
The 26-foot tall sculpture by artist Seward Johnson recreates the moment in the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch'' in which Monroe's white dress surges up toward her waist as she stands on a windy Manhattan subway grate.
The 17-ton statue crafted of steel and aluminum was first unveiled in Chicago in 2011. It then moved to the corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs in 2012, where it was on display for about two years.
Forever Marilyn returned in June 2021 after PS Resorts purchased the sculpture for $1 million.
In 1949, at age 22, Marilyn was “discovered” in Palm Springs at Charlie Farrell’s Racquet Club by William Morris talent agent, Johnny Hyde. Many famous photos of Marilyn were taken around the Racquet Club’s swimming pool. In the 1950s, she was a regular visitor to Palm Springs with her husband, baseball luminary Joe DiMaggio.
For more information, go to https://www.ps-resorts.com/forever-marilyn.
