Lucille Ball Memorial Park, Memorial park in the village of Celoron, New York, US
Lucille Ball Memorial Park is a lakeside memorial park in the village of Celoron, New York, dedicated to the actress who grew up there. It has green spaces, a boardwalk, boat and kayak launches, a playground, picnic shelters, sports courts, a bandshell, and two bronze statues of Lucille Ball.
Lucille Ball grew up in Celoron and later became a well-known actress, comedian, and producer, widely recognized for the sitcom I Love Lucy. The park was created in her honor and received a first bronze statue in 2009, which drew criticism for its odd appearance, leading to a second statue unveiled on her 105th birthday in 2016.
The park sits on Boulevard Avenue in Celoron and is easy to reach by car, with parking available nearby. A visit works well in any season, though summer brings concerts and community events to the bandshell that make the park livelier.
The 2009 statue became so widely mocked online that it triggered a national campaign for a replacement, an unusual outcome for a memorial. The 2016 bronze by sculptor Carolyn Palmer shows Ball smiling in a polka-dot dress with a handbag, and fans say it looks far closer to the real person.
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