Jamestown, New York loves Lucille Ball! It’s the “First Lady of Comedy’s” hometown and you can find tributes to her all over the city, including through the new, National Comedy Center Anywhere online platform. Enjoy this virtual hometown tour from the comfort of your home! The official Lucille Ball Hometown Tour is a guided experience that features even more stops and occurs every year during the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, happening August 5-9, 2020.
Public Art
California, Here We Come
The World’s Largest I Love Lucy mural depicts an iconic scene from the episode, California, Here We Come. All five of the following murals were created by Jamestown artist, Gary Peters Jr.
Lucy Does a TV Commercial
In the episode, Lucy Does a TV Commercial, Lucy samples a little too much of the product she is supposed to be promoting!
Job Switching
The episode titled, Job Switching, is when Lucy and Ethel act out the memorable and laughable chocolate conveyor belt scene.
Lucy & Ricky
Check out this larger than life rendition of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo.
Postage Stamp
Is it characters Lucy and Ricky, or the real-life Lucille and Desi who share this sweet kiss outside the former Jamestown Post Office?
Lovely Lucille
Sculptor Carolyn Palmer revealed this life-size statue of Lucille Ball in Lucille Ball Memorial Park on, August 6, 2016, what would have been her 105th birthday. There is a second statue of Ball in the park however, it’s not viewable from Google Earth. This statue was actually the original, but many people felt the first statue was not an accurate representation of Lucille’s likeness. During this process of commissioning the newer statue, the original statue gained some level of notoriety and fame; ultimately it was decided that both statues would remain in Lucille Ball Memorial Park. Plan a future visit to take a selfie with both statues.
Lucille's Childhood Home
59 Lucy Lane
Lucille Ball grew up in this home, which at the time was on 8th Street. The street was later renamed “Lucy Lane” in her honor. Other family members who also lived here include, grandparents Fred and Florabelle Hunt, her mother Dede, stepfather Ed Peterson, brother Fred, and cousins Lola and Cleo.
*Please note this home is privately owned & Google has it mislabeled as a museum. It is not open to the public.
The Lucy-Desi Museum, National Comedy Center, and More At-Home Fun
Lucy-Desi Museum
At the Lucy-Desi Museum guests are invited to learn about the early lives of the “First Couple of Comedy,” enjoy the fun costumes and screen-used memorabilia on display, pose with replicas of Lucy and Ricky’s NYC and Hollywood apartments, see awards received by both Ball and Arnaz, browse photographs depicting their personal lives and TV lives and more.
National Comedy Center
The intuitive technology powering the National Comedy Center takes guests on an interactive journey through comedy’s history. It’s a direct realization of the vision of Lucille Ball, who wished for her hometown to be a place to celebrate the art form of comedy and nurture talent. When you can visit, expect the National Comedy Center will captivate your interest for hours, so leave plenty of time to explore the more than 50 exhibits and exclusive collections. Learn about the important role props play in comedic bits, try your hand at cartooning, write a skit, Make a Meme, perform Comedy Karaoke, or challenge friends to a Laugh Battle. The National Comedy Center is full of kid-friendly laughs, but the 18+ crowd will find the Blue Room’s deep dive into censorship, the Art of the Roast, Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words, and more moments from comedy’s edgy past and present, enthralling.
National Comedy Center Anywhere
With the recent launch of the National Comedy Center Anywhere platform, anyone can experience the National Comedy Center, no matter where they live. National Comedy Center Anywhere tells the story of comedy via commentary from the artists themselves, and rare archival material never-before-seen outside of the Comedy Center -- just named the “Best New Museum in the Country” six weeks ago by USA Today, and named to TIME magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places” in 2019.
This free online experience takes each visitor on a journey through the world of comedy, including stand-up, sketch and improv, late-night TV, film, the latest online comedy, and more. Enjoy footage from interactive exhibits, selections from the archives, including rare artifacts and documents from some of comedy’s greatest talent, along with special event highlights from its renowned Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and its National Comedy Center Dialogues. LIVE-streamed stand-up comedy shows will also be presented in the coming weeks.
There is an option to upgrade to access even more content from the museum. Upgraded access includes one additional gift access to share the laughter with a friend or family member, plus one admission ticket to the National Comedy Center visitor experience in Jamestown, NY, which can be used when the museum re-opens in the coming months. The $19.50 fee for upgraded access will support the mission and ongoing operations of the National Comedy Center during this critical time, while sharing comedy content with a friend or loved one.