Leonard Nimoy, the actor who brought Mr. Spock to life in the original "Star Trek" series — and several later films — died in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 27 at the age of 83.
It's no surprise that Mr. Nimoy, beyond his cosmic turn as the contemplative Vulcan, was also a tireless advocate who stood for several issues, often serving as the congenial and persuasive ambassador for equal rights and the important role of the arts.
Meaning this: Fans across the world will want to remember the man and the thespian, either through repeated viewings of favorite episodes like "Amok Time," widely held to be one of Spock's most intense turns, or by donating to charities Mr. Nimoy supported.
Those fans living in Southern California, though, have some unique opportunities to remember the man: A few locations around LA have ties to either Mr. Nimoy or "Star Trek" or both.
The show famously used many outdoor locations in and around Los Angeles, from Griffith Park to the Vasquez Rocks near Santa Clarita, but you can go to the source of where all of those interiors were filmed, on the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood.
While the sets are gone, including the Enterprise's bridge, you can stroll the very place where Gene Roddenberry hatched what would go on to be, for Mr. Nimoy, his co-stars, and sci-fi fans everywhere, a life-changer of a television series.
How to visit the lot? On a Paramount Pictures Studio Tour, of course.
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If you want to see what the crew of the Enterprise wore on the bridge, you're in luck: The Hollywood Museum is not far from the Melrose Avenue movie studio, and it boasts an exhibit called "The Best of Science Fiction." Look for costumes from "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," including uniforms worn by Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk, in the display.
And Griffith Observatory, a heavens-looking landmark not too far from some of the Griffith Park locations used in the first "Star Trek" series, offers an important and lasting tribute to the actor: It's the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater, where "lectures, presentations, and demonstrations" about all things space abound.
The space is a gift to all fans who seek deeper knowledge about what's beyond, as well as the tenets that Mr. Spock represented, tenets also represented by the actor who brought Mr. Spock to lively, look-within life.
Leonard Nimoy is now, and has always been, a friend to many.
