Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy

The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum,, formally The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy and commonly known as the Lucy Desi Museum, is a museum at 2 West 3rd Street, Jamestown, New York that is affiliated with the nearby National Comedy Center with which it shares executive director Journey Gunderson.[1][2] The museum is dedicated to the lives and careers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Jamestown was Ball's birthplace.

Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum
Logo of the National Comedy Center
Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy is located in New York
Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy
Location of National Comedy Center New York State
Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy is located in the United States
Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy
Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy (the United States)
EstablishedAugust 1, 1996 (1996-08-01)
Location2 West 3rd Street
(West 3rd Street at Main Street)
Jamestown, New York 14701
Coordinates42.09651°N 79.24161°W / 42.09651; -79.24161
Websitewww.lucy-desi.com

The museum opened in 1996 and as of 2015, drew approximately 25,000 international visitors annually. The Comedy Center followed in 2016.[3]

Displays

In addition to re-created sets, including the series' iconic living room,[2] the museum showcases the work of Desilu Studios in an adjacent building,[4][5] houses the couple's artifacts and memorabilia including Ball's Emmy Awards, and an event facility dubbed the Tropicana Room, a recreation of Ricky Ricardo's nightclub.[1]

Three recreated sets from I Love Lucy in the museum:
  • Kitchen set from New York City Apartment
    Kitchen set from New York City Apartment
  • Living room set from New York City Apartment
    Living room set from New York City Apartment
  • Living room set from Hollywood hotel
    Living room set from Hollywood hotel

Comedy festival
Main article: National Comedy Center

Formerly, each May, the museum celebrated Lucy-Desi Days, which featured several events including panel discussions with those closest to Ball and Arnaz. In the spring of 1989, Ball was meant to attend the commencement ceremony at Jamestown Community College and receive an honorary degree from the institution, and during the same weekend she planned to attend the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy, which she had developed in cooperation with the Arts Council of Jamestown,[6] but she died shortly before the scheduled event.

In 1991, the National Comedy Center established the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which is now held every August to honor Ball's August 6 birthday.[5][3] Past festivals have featured Ray Romano, Ellen DeGeneres, Lewis Black, Billy Gardell, Jay Leno, Bill Engvall, Joan Rivers, Paula Poundstone, Kathleen Madigan, Tammy Pescatelli, and many more.[7]

References
  1. Webb, Donnie (May 4, 2015). "Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy: A legacy of laughter". Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  2. Cahoon, Katherine Chloe (December 19, 2021). "New film draws attention to 'I Love Lucy,' Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum". Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  3. "Do You Love Lucy? Head To Jamestown, NY". Gothamist. June 6, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  4. Glaser, Susan (July 18, 2013). "Jamestown, N.Y., seeks to expand on Lucille Ball's legacy of laughs". Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  5. Turner, Michele (August 2, 2014). "Lucille Ball Comedy Festival returns to Jamestown". Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  6. "The Peak of Summer in Chautauqua County". Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  7. "Lucille Ball Comedy Festival". Step Out Buffalo. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
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