In yet another head-scratching decision by city officials, the iconic “Forever Marilyn” statue is being relocated—again. This time, it’s moving a mere 50 yards from its previous location on Museum Way to the adjacent Downtown Park. The cost? A staggering $700,000 in city funds, not to mention the countless hours spent debating, planning, and executing the move.
Originally installed in 2021 near the Palm Springs Art Museum, the 26-foot statue of Marilyn Monroe in her famous skirt-blowing pose quickly became a beloved attraction for tourists and a controversy magnet for critics. Some residents and museum patrons decried its placement, calling it “sexist” and “inappropriate.” Others saw it as a nostalgic nod to Palm Springs’ Hollywood past. Regardless of opinion, the latest decision to move the statue has raised eyebrows—not for its artistic merit, but for the sheer waste of taxpayer dollars and city resources.
Palm Springs has long struggled with balancing tourism-driven spectacle and civic priorities. This latest move is emblematic of a larger issue: misallocated funds and misplaced priorities. At a time when the city faces pressing concerns—affordable housing, homelessness, and infrastructure improvements—spending nearly a million dollars to shift a statue a few feet seems not only absurd but also irresponsible.
Local business owners are also questioning the move. “Marilyn has been a huge draw for visitors, and no one was complaining about her location except a handful of people,” said one downtown restaurant owner. “Now, after all the lawsuits and arguments, we’re spending a fortune just to move her across the street. It’s ridiculous.”
Palm Springs officials argue that the relocation resolves legal disputes and makes the statue more accessible to the public. But many residents feel the decision is just another example of bureaucratic inefficiency and waste. “For that kind of money, we could have repaved half the roads in town,” one resident quipped.
Whether Marilyn’s new home will finally put an end to the controversy remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Palm Springs has spent a fortune to prove that when it comes to public art, common sense is in short supply.
