Boston’s Museum of Science announces Leonard Nimoy memorial statue after successful grassroots campaign

Artist rendering of the proposed Leonard Nimoy monument at Boston’s Museum of Science

APRIL 7, 2021 - On March 26th, the recent Leonard Nimoy Day in the city of Boston, The Boston Museum of Science and the family of Leonard Nimoy announced that a memorial statue featuring the Vulcan hand salute is officially in development.

The museum confirmed to us that this is the same proposed monument that we told you about last November, following a campaign by the man with the inspiration for the piece, Boston resident Tom Stocker. Stocker proposed the construction of the “Live Long and Prosper” monument to honor the late Nimoy and his commitment to his Boston roots. The proposed statue will be 20’ tall, illuminated and made from stainless steel. The current plan is to display the monument in front of the museum at Science Park.

For Julie Nimoy, daughter of the late Star Trek actor, the “Live Long and Prosper” monument represents an ideology that her father truly believed in. “My dad always loved Boston and he would be honored knowing that the Museum of Science would be the permanent home to this memorial,” Nimoy said in a statement, adding, “The sculpture not only depicts one of the world’s most recognized and loved gestures for peace, tolerance, and diversity, but it will also be a beautiful tribute to my dad’s life and legacy.”

Museum of Science President Tim Ritchie endorsed the project in a statement, saying, “Leonard Nimoy was one of our own [...] He was, and forever will be, a beloved part of our Museum family. He lifted our aspirations and hopes through his commitment to science, intellectual curiosity, generosity, and, yes, logic. He reminded us about the best part of humanity and gave us a vision for building a society based on reason and tolerance. The opportunity to pay tribute to him is a great honor.”

The Boston Museum of Science and the Nimoy family will be working together to finalize the stages of development for the “Live Long and Prosper” Monument. That includes things like finalizing the site plan, additional fundraising and, of course, construction. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on the details as they come. For now, if you’d like to contribute to the fund for the memorial, visit mos.org/nimoy.