‘Forever Marilyn’ Relocated in Palm Springs

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A dedication ceremony for the Forever Marilyn statue is planned at its new location, as Eric Gray reports for the Palm Springs Tribune.

“PS Resorts is inviting residents and visitors to a Forever Marilyn Community Celebration on Saturday, June 1, 2025, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., to honour what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 99th birthday. The event will also officially unveil the new permanent location of the iconic Forever Marilyn statue in Downtown Park, just steps from its previous home on Museum Way.

Hosted by celebrated local drag performer Vanity Halston, the free community celebration will include live music, birthday treats (one per person, while supplies last), and a Marilyn Monroe Look-alike Contest with prizes awarded to the top three participants best capturing the Hollywood icon’s classic style and charm.

The relocation, overseen by PS Resorts at an estimated cost of $500,000, was designed to keep the statue front and center in the heart of the city’s tourist district. However, some local critics have expressed concern that the statue’s new spot — surrounded by trees — may obscure the dramatic visual impact that once drew daily crowds.”

The statue was moved after a very public (and expensive) row, as the Desert Sun‘s Sam Morgen reported in February.

“‘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,’ Peggy Trott, Chair of PS Resorts, which owns the statue, said in a news release. ‘In 2024 alone, the statue welcomed more than 996,033 visitors.’

The move is part of a settlement from a lawsuit brought by the Committee to Relocate Marilyn, which objected to the statue’s location in the middle of a public street. Some members of the group have also criticised the statue, which depicts Monroe from the 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch with her dress blowing up in the wind, as being misogynist.

The lawsuit cost hundreds of thousands of dollars [estimated $600,000] in legal fees, and nearly $500,000 in additional funds will be spent on the move, which PS Resorts is paying for.

Despite the criticism, PS Resorts said in a news release a 2021 study showed 86% of Palm Springs residents found the statue to be a ‘fun and free attraction’ while 75% agreed the statue would help promote the city around the world.”