National Comedy Center Admission

I didn’t really know what to expect when we visited The National Comedy Center, however, it was a terrific time! The center tries to cater to your comedy likes. They give you an interactive band to wear on your wrist that has like a microchip in it and at the very beginning when you pay for your ticket and you go to the kiosk and select TV show shows, movies, stand-up comedians that you like it records it onto this microchip and then when you go around to all of the exhibits, you can blink your wristband at the exhibit and they will cater to your comedic favorites. It was very fun to go and get involved and engaged in all of the interactive exhibits that were there, you can make your own meme, you can sit with a friend and make each other laugh, you can imitate, stand-up comedians, you can go up on stage and do a monologue so it’s very interactive. If you’re shy, you’re not gonna like this museum That much although you don’t have to engage in the comedy interactive exhibits. We spent the afternoon there, however we could’ve spent more time to see everything. There are two other floors at this building, one is dedicated to a specific comedian, and the other one is dedicated to comedians that have risky or vulgarities. There’s also a bar inside where you can get drinks, I’m not sure if there’s snacks. There’s also a gift shop at the end as you snake your way through the center. Parking is either on the street, which is free on the weekends, but paid meter parking during the week. There’s also a parking lot strictly for the center that’s free, which is a couple blocks away.

We enjoyed viewing many of the exhibits (reading the info and watching clips) and loved a film they featured about Laugh-In and Johnny Carson. The other positive was a room downstairs dedicated to blue comedians—Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, etc. Overall, though, we were not wowed. They have this system where, by choosing your favorite comedians, etc., your experience is supposedly catered to your tastes via a chip in a wristband. But it did not play out that way at all, as far as we could tell. It just seemed to be a gimmick, mainly a data collection exercise. Also, we struggled to see any organization or flow to the content of the museum overall. The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz museum nearby had a better presentation that was easier to follow and digest. Maybe part of the problem is how broad the focus of the museum is.

This is a wonderful museum with numerous interactive experiences. I had wanted to visit Jamestown to see the National Comedy Center and the nearby Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Museum. I'm so glad that we did, including taking advantage of the combo ticket, which provided a modest discount. We spent a total of about 3 and a half hours in both, but could have spent more if we had the time. During our visit, we particularly enjoyed the virtual Comedy Club experience, which customizes the bits according to your own taste. The Johnny Carson/Laugh-In experiences were very good. Just so you are prepared, upon entering, you register on a tablet screen which asks you about the comedians, stand-ups and shows that you like best. While wearing a wristband, it customizes your experience to a degree based on your selections. There's also a floor devoted to Freedom of Speech and what might be called adult humor, focusing on the likes of the trailblazers Lenny Bruce and George Carlin, among others. One surprise: There's a bar at the end of the tour and you might be offered the chance to buy a drink while touring. There's plenty of warning about the language in the so-called Blue Room. It is fair to say that it is not for everyone, particularly children. As someone who has worked as a journalist and prioritizes advocacy of the First Amendment, I was particularly glad to see it. Highly recommend this special destination. We found a parking lot down the street, which was small. There's plenty of parking on the streets nearby.