The giant Forever Marilyn statue in Palm Springs, California, stands as a captivating tribute to the iconic actress Marilyn Monroe. Created by the late artist Seward Johnson in 2011, this larger-than-life sculpture captures Monroe’s famously flirtatious white dress pose over a New York subway grate from Billy Wilder’s 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch.
On display near the Palm Springs Art Museum downtown since 2021, Forever Marilyn has become an essential attraction for many, and a dependable selfie magnet. Its presence adds another touch of glamour and nostalgia to the area, reminding visitors of the golden age of Hollywood and Monroe’s status as a beloved pin-up and blonde bombshell.
Forever Marilyn Statue
The 26-foot-tall, 34,000-pound statue’s striking beauty and attention to detail make it an impressive sight. Visitors worldwide have put the Forever Marilyn statue on their lists when visiting Palm Springs.
In the movie The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn Monroe had a line that attracted a lot of controversy upon release, “When it gets hot like this, you know what I do? I keep my undies in the icebox!” That controversy surrounding her undies is still with us today as local residents who consider the statue sexist have filed suit, seeking to have the statue removed. The sculpture provides a clear view of Monroe’s rear end and undies.
According to film historian Michelle Vogel, author of Marilyn Monroe: Her Films, Her Life, Marilyn Monroe was not in fact a real person. She was a character portrayed by Norma Jeane Mortenson, who was born in Los Angeles. Marilyn was a persona that Norma played on and off the screen to the delight of millions of movie fans, including President John F. Kennedy.
Palm Springs Art Museum
If you plan to see the sculpture, the nearby Palm Springs Art Museum itself has a lot to offer. Located in a building designed in Midcentury International style in 1974, today it specializes in modern and contemporary art, the art of the West, photography, glass, and architecture. Hollywood actors George Montgomery and William Holden, among many others, made significant contributions to the permanent collections.
Forever Marilyn may not remain where it is forever. The lawsuit and potential ballot initiative, related to both traffic closures and some locals’ desire to get rid of the sculpture, leave its future uncertain (as of this writing in late 2023). Want to see Marilyn in Palm Springs? Make plans now.
Although Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels hosted me during my visit, all the opinions expressed in this story are my own.
