NEWSLETTER
National Comedy Center Featured as a Top Family Destination with Disneyland, New York City, Hawaii and Walt Disney World Resort
Jamestown, NY – August 22, 2022 -- The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official cultural institution and museum dedicated to comedy, was named a “Top 25 Family Weekend Getaways in the U.S.” by U.S. News & World Report and a top destination to explore for “memory-making vacations with loved ones.”
The publication states that “these 25 top weekend getaways across the country guarantee enriching activities for all ages and will inspire your family to enjoy some quality time together,” with these destinations welcoming families “with special experiences, affordable lodging and sophisticated dining and entertainment.”
The National Comedy Center is among a prestigious list of major destinations across the country selected by U.S. News & World Report, which also includes Disneyland; Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort; snorkeling in Maui, Hawaii; performing arts in New York City; a cruise in Alaska; the Rocky Mountains in Breckinridge, CO; and the San Francisco waterfront.
The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York is cited as a destination where “there’s a wide range of humor to make all ages laugh out loud…you’ll find it in Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, in the southwest corner of New York State…”
“We know how much families love to laugh together at the National Comedy Center,” stated National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson. “We’re so pleased that U.S. News & World Report recognizes that we have a world-class, national destination here in Western New York, with so much for visitors of all ages to enjoy and experience together – across all genres and eras of comedy. For all those who love to laugh, the National Comedy Center is the perfect weekend getaway.”
The National Comedy Center is one of only eight destinations in the Northeast on the family weekend getaway list and one of only three destinations located in New York State.
Within the Comedy Center’s galleries, more than 50 interactive exhibits and immersive experiences employ cutting-edge technology to showcase the story of comedy from its origins to the present day – featuring exclusive collections, archival documents, rare artifacts, and multi-media presentations.
The full U.S. News & World Report article can be found here: 25 Top Family Weekend Getaways in the U.S. (usnews.com)
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About the National Comedy Center
The National Comedy Center is the United States’ official cultural institution and museum dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations, as formally designated by the U.S. Congress. Opened in August 2018 in Jamestown, New York, the museum complex offers an unprecedented, immersive visitor experience using state-of-the-art technology, interactivity and personalization.
USA Today named the National Comedy Center the “Best New Museum in the Country” while TIME magazine named it one of its “World’s Greatest Places” – one of only “100 new and newly noteworthy destinations to experience right now” and one of only nine attractions to visit in the United States. Condé Nast Traveler called the National Comedy Center “one of the best museums in the country,” and People magazine named it one of “100 Reasons to Love America.” Comedy industry authority The Interrobang named the design team second on its list of “Innovators Who Changed Comedy.”
In 2021, the National Comedy Center was featured in The New York Times, on CBS Saturday Morning, CBS Sunday Morning and on NBC’s TODAY Show, which called it “the Smithsonian of Comedy.”
Visitors from all 50 states and eighteen countries have given the Center a rare 5/5 raring on TripAdvisor, ranking among the highest in the attraction and tourism industry.
Based on the vision of Jamestown native Lucille Ball for her hometown to become a destination for comedy, the non-profit National Comedy Center showcases comedy’s great minds and unique voices in ways that engage, inspire, educate and entertain. The Comedy Center’s mission is to provide education on the comedic arts in the form of commentary and contextualization of its bodies of work across all eras and genres of the art form.
The National Comedy Center has collaborated with dozens of artists and estates to preserve materials that represent comedy’s significant artistic, social, and political contributions to American culture including collections illustrating the careers of legendary artists like George Carlin, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Lenny Bruce, The Smothers Brothers and the development of groundbreaking creative work such as sketch comedy series In Living Color, Saturday Night Live and more. Two new multi-media exhibits have recently opened – a multi-screen immersive experience that celebrates the “king of late night,” Johnny Carson, as we mark the 30th anniversary year of his final Tonight Show, and an exhibit that honors and remembers the legendary Carl Reiner during his centennial year.
The National Comedy Center’s Advisory Board includes the recent addition of Tiffany Haddish – filling the seat held by the late Carl Reiner – along with Jim Gaffigan, Lewis Black, W. Kamau Bell, Paula Poundstone, Pete Docter, Paul Feig, Kelly Carlin, and more.
Within the Comedy Center’s museum galleries, more than 50 interactive exhibits and immersive experiences employ cutting-edge technology to present the story of comedy from its origins to the present day – using archival documents, artifacts, and media as their core. Its educational programming on the art form has featured Tiffany Haddish, George Lopez, Margaret Cho, Norman Lear, Debra Messing, Rain Pryor (daughter of Richard Pryor), Jay Leno, Kenan Thompson, Gabriel Iglesias, Ben Stiller, John Cleese, Jimmy Fallon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and many more.
Design for the National Comedy Center was led by the most prominent cultural and interactive design firms in the world, whose portfolios collectively include the award-winning 9/11 Memorial Museum, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, SNL: The Experience, and more.
The National Comedy Center operates the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, which explores the lives, careers and legacy of the “First Couple of Comedy” and the incredible impact they had on the world, as well as the pioneering role and remarkable influence that I Love Lucy and Desilu Studios had on the entertainment industry for generations to come.
The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, produced and presented by the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY, and has showcased comedy’s greatest stars and rising young comedians, including Jerry Seinfeld, Trevor Noah, Lily Tomlin, John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, W. Kamau Bell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jim Gaffigan, Paula Poundstone, Joan Rivers, and more than one hundred other comedic artists. Earlier this month, the 2022 festival featured comedy greats Jeff Foxworthy, Margaret Cho and SNL Legends: David Spade, Rob Schneider and Kevin Nealon.
The National Comedy Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural institution whose mission is funded by philanthropic support. Donations and grants support the museum and its work to present the vital story of comedy and preserve its heritage for future generations.
Stay connected to the National Comedy Center and Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum:
Websites: www.comedycenter.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalcomedycenter/
Twitter and Instagram: @ntlcomedycenter