A massive statue of Marilyn Monroe that has turned heads for two years in Palm Springs is headed east on April 1, according to The Press Enterprise.
The 26-foot-tall, 34,000-pound statue will be transported in April from California to Hamilton, N.J., where it will be part of an exhibit honoring its designer, Seward Johnson, according to PE.com. The statue of the "Some Like it Hot" star arrived in the desert resort city in 2012.
"It's going to be a very sad day not only for Palm Springs residents but for the entire Coachella Valley," said Aftab Dada, general manager of the Hilton Palm Springs and chairman of P.S. Resorts, a group of hotels that brought the statue to town nearly two years ago, PE.com reported. "She's really become family."
Dada said there is a possibility the city can bring Monroe back after redevelopment of Desert Fashion Plaza is completed, PE.com reported. A new hotel and shops are planned on the corner where the statue now stands but there are no plans to install another statue.
Johnson made the statue as a tribute to the iconic moment when Monroe's dress flies up in the film, "The Seven Year Itch," according to PE.com. It came to Palm Springs from Chicago, where Dada said it wasn't quite so well-liked.
Yet in Palm Springs, where Monroe owned a home, the Forever Marilyn statue is rarely seen alone. P.S. Resorts negotiated with The Sculpture Foundation to extend her stay, twice, according to PE.com.
Dada said a big reason for the statue's success was the location, in the heart of downtown, with the San Jacinto Mountains as a backdrop, PE.com reported.
"The setting we have will be impossible to duplicate," Dada added.
A going away party, open to the public, is planned for March 27.
