You have entered the Twilight Zone that began in Syracuse, New York.

Rod Serling, a six-time Emmy award-winning screenwriter, playwright, and television producer, and the man behind the famous television series, The Twilight Zone, was born on December 25, 1924. He lived in Syracuse for two years before his family moved to Binghamton.

Serling Syracuse Home

Serling's parents, Samuel and Ether, lived on 635 Madison Avenue in Syracuse, New York when they got married, according to a 1914 article. The same location where Hutchings Psychiatric Center is now. They later moved down the street, probably to accommodate their growing family.

The home Rod is said to have grown up in is at 1324 Madison Street. A sad-looking house that is in need of repair sits at that location today.

Serling Star

There are two stars honoring Serling. One can be found on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. The other is in front of the Syracuse Landmark.

Credit - Syracuse History via Facebook
Credit - Syracuse History via Facebook
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Serling Sign

A sign honoring Serling also sits outside Binghamton high school where he graduated in 1943. Although he was seen as the class clown and was dismissed by most of his teachers as a lost cause, it was his seventh-grade English teacher, Helen Foley, who encouraged him to enter public speaking. He went on to join the debate team, write in the school newspaper, and spoke at his graduation.

Credit - Rod Serling Memorial Foundation via Facebook
Credit - Rod Serling Memorial Foundation via Facebook
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SerlingFest

The Rod Serling Memorial Foundation keeps his memory alive over 40 years after his death in 1975. SerlingFest is being held in Binghamton from August 12 through August 14 with a video marathon, guest speakers, and cocktails in the Zone, an event designed to raise money for a statue of Serling in Recreation Park.

Credit - Rod Serling Memorial Foundation via Facebook
Credit - Rod Serling Memorial Foundation via Facebook
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Tom Cruise Syracuse Home

Rod Serling isn't the only celebrity to call Syracuse home. Tom Cruise was also born in Salt City. Although he didn't stay long. His parents moved when Cruise was just a baby.

Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse. The exact location of his birth home has been a mystery. Until now.

The 1962 Syracuse Suburban Directory at the Oneida County Public Library uncovered the house Cruise once called home.

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