National Comedy Center

A one-of-a-kind experiential complex devoted to the history and art of American comedy, located in Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, NY.

Holograms of comedy history, George Carlin’s arrest records, and immersive sets wait under the expansive roof of the National Comedy Center, housed in a converted train station. Covering the scope of American comedy, the colossal space is designed to educate visitors about the loudest, wackiest, punchiest figures in the field of farce, including Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dave Chapelle.

Visitors receive a “humor profile,” which uses a radio frequency identification chip inside a wristband to track and tailor content to personal comedic tastes across some 50 interactive exhibits. You can try out different comedic forms like cartooning, slapstick pie fights, script writing, and even the golden bough of comedy: stand-up.