An affordable day full of laughs is only about two hours away from Cleveland this summer.
The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official museum and cultural institution dedicated to comedy in Jamestown, N.Y., is offering free admission to children and teens ages 17 and under through Sept. 4, according to a news release.
In collaboration with a local auto dealer, Shults Auto Group, the promotion is available for up to two kids or teens with the purchase of an adult admission ticket. Admission also comes with free entry to the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, also in Jamestown, which is the hometown of comedy legend Lucille Ball of “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show” fame.
Gary Hahn, vice president of marketing and communications at the National Comedy Center, told the Cleveland Jewish News the admission deal comes as the museum prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
Referring to the museum as “the rock hall of comedy,” Hahn said it celebrates comedy in all its forms, with visitors coming from all 50 states and 18 countries around the world.
“We see our mission as to present the art form and preserve its heritage for future generations,” Hahn said. “This work is across all genres – stand up, television, film, sketch and improv, and so on. It’s really about showcasing every kind of comedy you can think of, resulting in one of the most interactive and immersive museums in the world.”
Hahn said visitors tailor their museum experience, wearing a “laugh band,” which customizes their visit based on the comedians they like and suggesting others that might share the same comedic attributes or styles.
“The collections we have within the museum are about 75% interactive,” he said. “We also have artifacts of comedians throughout the museum, too. On the one hand, you’re getting content as you walk through, and then you have the opportunity to also be in the presence of the DNA of the greatest comic artists of all time.”
The museum’s biggest recent addition is its “Carl Reiner – Keep Laughing” exhibit, which opened last summer, Hahn said. It became home to the comic’s archives in 2021, with his family donating rare creative papers, scripts and artifacts spanning his seven-decade career. The exhibit showcases hundreds of archival materials, with visitors allotted the opportunity to explore interactive stations that feature audiovisual clips, creative papers, photographs and artifacts.
Another new exhibit is the “Johnny Carson: The Immersive Experience” exhibit. Hosted by a hologram version of current “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, the exhibit showcases Carson’s career while highlighting how “The Tonight Show” served as an influential platform for stand-up comedy over the three decades Carson hosted it.
The exhibit features video presentations of interviews with Martin Short, Bette Midler, Jay Leno, Mel Brooks, Billy Crystal, Byron Allen, George Lopez, Carol Leifer, George Wallace, Paula Poundstone, Conan O’Brien, Sebastian Maniscalco and more, along with archival video from Carson’s “The Tonight Show.” It also features some of Carson’s wardrobes for characters like Art Fern and Floyd R. Turbo and the show’s rainbow curtain.
The museum’s archival team is also going through Joan Rivers’ archive, and by 2025, it will host a complete digital version, Hahn said.
“Not everyone realizes how fun of an experience this is for families,” he said. “One of the things we’re thrilled about is how many kids will get to enjoy the National Comedy Center and all of its interactive experiences. Everyone loves to laugh. We’re getting through some very challenging years, and this is a museum like no other. You walk through the halls and hear people laughing. It brings people together, bonding over comedy.”
