Phoenix is the capital of what’s understood to be a  generally-conservative state. Perhaps that’s what makes people wonder how Downtown Phoenix ended up with quite so many nude statues. AZCentral decided to take a look into how and why so many scantily-clad statues came to be. 

There’s the family of four strolling blissfully disrobed in the north plaza of the Maricopa County Superior Court building. Meanwhile, at The Herberger Theater on East Monroe Street, a group of unclothed statues dance while one plays the flute. Head to the Herberger Theater to see a family of seven statues frolicking freely outside. 

For many of the statues, there was some initial controversy when first proposed. However, most if not all have been accepted over the past 50 years, especially since none of them are meant to be lewd or lascivious. 

The Maricopa County Superior Court family was the first such statues to be added back in the 60s. They were offered as a gift by the Valley Beautiful Council, which championed local sculpture John Waddell, who specialized in statues sans clothing. When they were met with pushback, Waddell scribbled a few lines into the sculptures to represent clothes, satisfying the concerns of city staff.

From then on, Waddell went on to be commissioned for a total of 20 statues over the next several decades. While some have been removed over the years for renovations, they’ve all become welcome sights in the street of Phoenix, pants or no pants.