Jamestown, NY
Visitors from across the country and around the world continue to discover why Jamestown has become one of America’s premier destinations for comedy. Recently named the Best Pop Culture Museum in the Nation by USA Today, the award-winning National Comedy Center is welcoming guests this summer and fall with new displays, the 35th anniversary of the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, and special programming marking the 75th anniversary of I Love Lucy.
One of the year’s biggest highlights is the announcement that comedy legend Mel Brooks has chosen the National Comedy Center as the permanent home for his extraordinary career archive. Spanning more than seven decades of groundbreaking work, the collection includes scripts, photographs, and production materials documenting the remarkable career of one of comedy’s greatest creators. Brooks joins a growing collection of archives and collections preserved by the National Comedy Center, including those of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, The Smothers Brothers, Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and landmark television series including Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Laugh-In, and In Living Color. Together, these collections further strengthen the National Comedy Center’s role as the nation’s official cultural institution dedicated to the art form of comedy.
Visitors will also find new displays featuring original artifacts from The Office and wardrobe from the award-winning series Hacks, while beloved Fozzie Bear—the Muppets’ resident stand-up comedian—is back on display. As one of the nation’s most interactive museums, the National Comedy Center invites guests to laugh, play, and explore through immersive technology, rare artifacts, multimedia, and personalized experiences that celebrate the comedians, television shows, films, and cultural moments that have shaped comedy.
This August marks the 35th anniversary of the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, celebrating more than three decades of bringing comedy’s biggest names to Lucille Ball’s hometown. The August 6–9 festival features headliners Jerry Seinfeld, Bert Kreischer, and Seth Meyers, along with many of the best comedians from across the country—more than 50 live events throughout Jamestown, continuing the festival’s tradition of attracting thousands of visitors and generating significant economic impact for the region.
Throughout the summer and fall, the Lucy Desi Museum is marking the 75th anniversary of I Love Lucy with special programming and experiences celebrating the groundbreaking television series. Visitors can explore the remarkable legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz through original costumes, props, rare artifacts, recreated television sets, and one-of-a-kind experiences while discovering how the beloved sitcom transformed television production and forever changed the situation comedy. The commemoration culminates on October 15, marking 75 years since the show’s historic debut in 1951.
Whether attending the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, exploring one of America’s most interactive museums, or celebrating the legacy of I Love Lucy, there has never been a better time to visit Jamestown. Together, the National Comedy Center and Lucy Desi Museum continue to preserve comedy’s rich history while inspiring new generations through the power of laughter.