1. National Comedy Center

    0

    Jamestown, NY

    Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    National Comedy Center

    4.8 (112 reviews)
    Closed • Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    National Comedy Center Photos

    Recommended Reviews - National Comedy Center

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Mary C. S.

    We finally went here with 2 friends in from out of town. A lot of exhibits and artifacts in a small amount of space. Every inch is used wisely. Allow time to really inspect each exhibit as many have audio or video components. Numerous artifacts from comedy legends, including many of Carl Reiner's Emmys. When with other people, it would be best to strike out on your own as not everyone will be interested in the same comedians. Otherwise, you week be waiting around for your traveling companions or trying to catch up to them. No parking on site -- use nearby parking lots or street parking.

    Nina D.

    Oh my GOSH this is one of the best museums I've ever been to. You hear museum and you think "ugh yeah I guess I'm down to be educated today" but this was an *experience*!!! I cannot recommend this place enough. It's fun for all ages - I'm 29 and I had a freakin BLAST. Tony the bartender was such a great time and there were several people working there who helped show me around and tell me more about the history of the building as well as some fun facts about the exhibits. As a comedian, my expectations were simultaneously low and high, and the National Comedy Center truly excelled all of them. I spent 3 hrs here and it wasn't enough. I'd spend all day here if I could.

    Daviyion J.

    I had a fantastic visit here and definitely recommend checking it out at least once if you're in the area or just a big fan of comedy. that only is Jamestown home of Lucille Ball, but this now leading center for the comedic arts has a wide diversity and representation of comedy across the generations. Check them out and be sure to create your comedy profile so at the end, you'll get a sense of what you really like and maybe discover some new favorites along the way.

    National Comedy Center
    Aly W.

    I came with one of my kids last week. What a fun, interactive, and even educational place. Very nostalgic, too. As others have said, you receive a wristband that allows you to build a profile and interact with exhibits. There's a Johnny Carson special introduced by an impressive Jimmy Fallon hologram in a theater with multiple screens showing off the museum's technological capabilities that continue to WOW from there. Here's a list of some of the activities: 1. The stand-up lounge where you interactive with tables and personalized content is projected on a brick wall. 2. Comedy karaoke in a cozy lounge adjacent to a bar sponsored by Southern Tier brewing where you perform on stage. 3. Small studios in which you reenact scenes from TV and movies like Dumb and Dumber. The wristband will only save a screen cap and not the video though. 4. A big room with 3D props you place on a table and pick scenes to watch incorporating those props. 5. A big wall in that same room that allows you to trace connections between comics and comedic performances. 6. A table that allows you to pick a script and read it while the scene plays. And that's just a small part of the content and activities available. We spent four and a half hours here. You could come back and have a different experience every time. I'm not sure how often they update content, but it definitely doesn't end at the year the museum opened, and everything is well-kept. I only had minor quibbles like being sent only our own photos instead of a side by side with the performers whose faces we imitated. Either take a picture of the screen or have fun tracking down the picture later. Oh, lots of friendly staff to help. It was busy but never felt crowded. Parking is tricky. It's down the street across from the light. You'll see a sign on one side that appears to point at restricted apartment parking but the real lot is just passed it, and smallish so you may have to find street parking instead.

    Amanda H.

    Wow. This museum exceeded my expectations by 100%. Insanely interactive and personalized to your unique sense of humor, this museum will have you learning while you laugh. We could have easily spent 3 hours here. The amount of information and history packed into this space is incredible. You use the wristbands to customize your experience by choosing different comedians, movies, and tv shows you like. There are different stations where you scan your wristband to interact. You can even draw your own comic cartoon! There are plenty of hand sanitizer stands and wipes for headphones so you don't have to hesitate using something. Speaking of cleanliness, their restrooms were also nicely kept. Tony in the lounge area was also a true gem. He actually approached us while we were browsing the museum and offered to bring us a drink to enjoy while we walked around (they have a decent variety of options including beer and canned mix drinks). When we finally made it to the lounge area he was happy to serve us, as well as serving up some jokes, and told us a little about the museum and their events. At the end, you scan your wristband to analyze your humor profile. It sends your results to your email! This museum was the perfect way to spend a rainy day while we were on vacation. Highly highly recommend. We went on a weekday around noon so it was pretty quiet aside from a few other people.

    The Seinfeld Puffy Shirt
    Steven B.

    What better way to celebrate April Fools Day than to check out the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY, which is about a 2 hour drive from my home. Easy to find in Downtown Jamestown, there are street signs to help find the NCC. They have a dedicated parking lot nearby, small and a bit rough, but free and a couple minutes walk from the center. The Center provides a free coat check at the entrance, which is convenient. I had purchased a ticket online the night before (which provides a bit of a discount) so getting in was quick and efficient. You get a wrist wrap that activates the interactive exhibits and you start by making a profile on one of the kiosks by entering your information and preferences. Once inside you have the choice of watching the video presentation on Laugh-In or The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. The theater has screens that surround you and provide a very interesting experience. Outside of the theater are a bunch of exhibits, including costumes, the Tonight Show Curtain and other comedy artifacts. As you move through the Center there are numerous interactive exhibits that show clips of Comedians, TV shows and other pieces of comedy. The Center is set up to be more interactive the further you go with one of the highlights being the huge video wall that allows you to trace the connections between comedy stars. Plenty of individual interactive exhibits and also a good number of group experiences. Especially interesting is the Blue Room which features more adult and challenging humor, of course adults only. There are features on Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Roasts, and a wall of different windows and doors hiding various blue materials. I spent about 5 hours going through the Center and could have spent a lot more time. There is plenty to see and experience here. A lot of fun, a great way to get more knowledge of comedy or to reexperience older comedy. If you are a comedy fan this is a must visit if you are in the area. I will say that the Center leans fairly heavily on Stand-Up, improv and Late Night Comedy but it is well worth your time.

    Interactive!
    Michael G.

    Never met a museum we didn't like and the National Comedy Center delivers! The interactive part of the museum is 5* alone! Make sure you make a reservation. The museum is busy, the city is busy, and there is also The Lucy Museum. Jamestown is her birth town. How Jamestown is the home to two stellar museums must be a great story. Allow some time. We stayed for four hours in the midst of our trip, and we could have taken an entire day. They do have two-day passes that can be purchased. Excellent all-around!!

    Sara P.

    It is hard to say more than has already been said in previous reviews about this incredible museum.  Highly interactive, the wristbands help cater to each individual and their likes and preferences.  A wide variety of comedy genres from TV, to movies, to cartoons, to stand up they have a little bit of everything and something for everyone.  I definitely recommend a visit here. Hopefully that is enough to pique your interest, so onto some pragmatics.: They had a free coat check which was nice as we visited during the colder months.   They did sell food, but it was right at the end, you could jump ahead and come back if needed.  Also it didn't appear to be a lot, mainly snacks, think cheesesticks, individual bags of chips, and maybe some premade sandwiches.   The dual ticket with the Lucy/Desi museum did allow us to use on separate days which worked better for our trip.  It would be easy enough to visit both, especially if starting at opening at 10 or 11, but could be spread out to the next day. If you like to laugh, stop on by to this great museum!

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pam M.
    0
    14
    1

    2 months ago

    Wonderful place! Extremely interactive and FUN! Worth the drive if you are visiting from out of town.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aly W.
    136
    801
    1475

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    We had a wonderful visit. The museum is very interactive and has something for every age group.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeff S.
    28
    99
    19

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nikki G.
    197
    1098
    4015

    5 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joy S.
    136
    171
    1551

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 69
    Thanks 0
    Love this 64
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Great experience, loved our visit. Highly recommend, you won't walk away without reliving some wonderful memories and great laughs.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 14
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - National Comedy Center

    Review Highlights - National Comedy Center

    “There is a "Blue Room" which is located on a separate floor for those of you who enjoy more risqué comedy (Lenny Bruce).”

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum - California Set at Lucy Desi Museum

    Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum

    (64 reviews)

    So neat and informative! They have a lot of props, costumes, photos and videos of Lucy and Desi's…read morehistory. The employees were friendly and the gift shop was nice!

    We visited this museum in conjunction with the National Comedy Center. They offer a ticket that…read moreallows you to visit both locations at a slightly better rate. This was a cute, fun little stop, but I personally enjoyed the National Comedy Center more and spent more time there. I think the main draw here is being able to walk through the set that looks exactly like the apartment from the TV series. For an additional fee, a staff member will take your photograph on the set, and we were asked by a couple of different people if we wanted to do that, but opted out. It was cool to see some of Lucy's original costumes and her Mercedes. I did also see a lot of visitors sitting and watching the videos throughout the museum. The most enjoyable spot for me was right at the end when they have the vitaminavegimen script and a tiny little set. My husband videotaped me doing the routine that I had watched a thousand times as a child and it was pretty fun. I was sad that on playback of the video you can't really hear me because there is a lot going on inside the museum, but it was fun and memorable to me anyway. I love Lucy and if you do to, I would recommend stopping for this museum, and if you are more of an overall comedy fan, it's a nice cherry on top of the day if you're going to the National Comedy Center anyway.

    Roger Tory Peterson Institute - Curator, Maria Ferguson, discussing a recent exhibit.

    Roger Tory Peterson Institute

    (4 reviews)

    Stunning building surrounded by nature and a must see for any nature enthusiast. I visited during…read moreDoors Open Jamestown and was really impressed with the friendly staff and how beautifully the collections were displayed. RTPI is a museum, and also has a gift shop and looks like it could be used for special events too. The museum is home to the largest collection of Roger Tory Peterson's work. Roger Tory Peterson illustrated field guides on identifying birds. He was also a talented photographer. The majority of the museum featured nature photography by Thomas D. Mangelsen which were very interesting to look at as well. The upstairs is accessible by stairs and elevator, and there was an interesting video playing about spiny soft shell turtles living in the Chadakoin River in Jamestown. Overall I really enjoyed the 40 minutes we spent here, and I would love to come back again one day!

    If you have a thirst for knowledge of the outdoors, nature, wildlife, the flora, fauna or…read moreparticularly of birds, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is the place. Not only does it store a wealth of information, it's one of the most drop dead gorgeous of structures both in design as well as in décor. Named after world famed ornithologist, author and naturalist, Roger Tory Peterson, a native of Jamestown, New York, it is this institute that personifies his life's work in which he not only won every major award in his field but also furthered it with such striking innovations as the Peterson Identification System, known for its clarity with specific delineations of bird markings. In my mind, Roger Tory Peterson was the greatest, most gifted ornithologist and naturalist ever and, just one heck of a nice guy; a perfect gentlemen in the most classical sense of the term who I was fortunate enough to have personally known and spoken with on numerous occasions as we both resided not that far from each other and shared similar heritages as well as interests. The displays and art work layouts of this institute couldn't have been better done, many of which are in fact breath taking and others mentally impacting such as a display of the once thriving passenger pigeon that were so numerous in numbers their flights blackened the skies but now, as a result of what was actually commercial hunting and conservational ignorance, now totally extinct. So, if you have any naturalist or ornithological interests, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is a must.

    Fenton History Center Museum And Research Center - View of Fenton History Center

    Fenton History Center Museum And Research Center

    (2 reviews)

    There's a lot to see at the Fenton History Center! Spread out among multiple floors, plan to spend…read moreabout an hour (or longer) here. The ground level contained a gift shop, several rooms with antique furniture, and a room that contained a timeline of Jamestown and Chautauqua county history as well as locally made items. Some of the exhibits upstairs included a furniture room, an upside down Christmas tree, a toy room, observation tower, Lucille Ball photographs, and more. Some of the exhibits on the lower level (basement) included an old kitchen, Swedish Roo, Underground Railroad information, and farming tools. There were docents spread throughout the museum, and QR codes to watch videos on the items in each room. Overall worth the visit!

    There is something here for everyone. Woman's suffrage, slavery, local history, tools, trains. The…read moreRed Cross, and war time. A lot of information on the forming of the town of Jamestown. Great place to spend an afternoon. This is a self-guided tour. Once you pay your $10 you're on your own. Con's - there has to be something bad about every place you go. Here there are a lot of stairs. There is no way to maneuver most of the building if you cannot do the stairs. No elevator. I went in July, it was so hot in the building. Might want to try it in the winter time. Also the lighting is poor. Lots of things to read, but could not see what was written on the cards. wanted to know more about sometimes, but there was no information on and no one to ask.

    National Comedy Center - nonprofit - Updated October 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...