I was raised on Saturday Night Live. My parents would always turn on Saturday Night Live every…read moreSaturday after I went to bed and as I got older, I would eventually get to stay up and watch the cast of the early 2010s. Even from there, my parents would show us SNL skits during their holiday specials as well as clips on early YouTube.
SNL not only opened my eyes to some of the greatest comedians of this decade, but introduced me to more than just the artists heard on mainstream radio. SNL introduced me to so many great indie and alternative artists. Because of this, I became a huge fan of Saturday Night Live entering my adult life.
After hearing how Lorne Michaels' private collection and archives would be heading to a free exhibit at the Henry Ransom Center, I knew I would have to check it out as soon as possible.
With my girlfriend coming to town the weekend after my birthday, we made a plan to hit a few museums across the University of Texas campus starting with the Henry Ransom Center.
Before you even see the Lorne Michaels Collection, you can see the Niépce Heliograph, the first ever photograph, and the Gutenberg Bible.
The Lorne Michaels Collection is the highlight of the visit. As you walk through the exhibits, you first start with the history of comedy on SNL, Lorne's early work before NBC, and the origins of SNL. From there, you get to see the order of the show from the cold open, the monologue, sketches, pre-tapes, musical performances, and more. There is a real cue card from Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter's cold open performance from SNL 50 on display. From there, artifacts and history from each decade are highlighted, from Matt Foley's costume, the cowbell, a tribute to the first episode following the September 11 attacks, a Five-Timers jacket, and more.
The best part of all of this is that the exhibit is entirely free to the public and there is so much more than what I am sharing. The collection is on display until March 20, 2026, and if you are a fan of Saturday Night Live, comedy, or television as a whole this is an exhibit for you.
RIYL: Saturday Night Live, like duh?