Rod Serling Statue Erected at Binghamton’s Rec Park

Rod Serling - or at least a six-foot-tall likeness of him - is back near his childhood home on the West Side of Binghamton.

A statue of the creator of The Twilight Zone television series arrived at Recreation Park with no fanfare on Thursday.

A small crew using a crane worked quickly to lift the statue onto a pedestal in the southeast section of the park. The site is just a few blocks away from the Bennett Avenue house where Serling once lived with his family.

Workers carefully wrapped the statue, which is to be dedicated in a ceremony later this month.

The cost of the long-discussed project was about $140,000. It was commissioned by the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation, which will give the statue to the city of Binghamton.

Foundation president Nicholas Parisi told WNBF News he was excited that the statue had been delivered to the park. He said he's looking forward to the dedication event, which will be held as part of the organization's annual SerlingFest in Binghamton.

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo also expressed happiness that the statue project has become a reality. She secured a $50,000 state grant to help fund the initiative to honor Serling. Private donations also were made to pay for the project.

Rod Serling was born in Syracuse nearly 100 years ago - on December 25, 1924. He grew up in Binghamton. He said "Everybody has to have a hometown. Binghamton's mine."

Serling died in 1975 shortly after undergoing heart surgery in Rochester. He was 50.

The Rod Serling statue dedication ceremony is scheduled for September 15 at noon.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A walk in the park shortly after the Rod Serling statue was delivered on September 5, 2024.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.