Country's First-Ever Comedy Center Opens in Home City of Lucille Ball

The National Comedy Center, the first non-profit cultural institution and visitor experience dedicated to comedy, is officially open in Jamestown, Chautauqua County. The $50 million state-of-the-art museum is dedicated to telling the story of comedy in America, and celebrates comedy's great minds and unique voices, from Charlie Chaplin to Dave Chappelle.

Construction of the project, which began when the Governor broke ground in August 2015, includes a new 6,000-square-foot building, which, combined with the renovation and adaptive reuse of two historic buildings, including the historic Jamestown Gateway Train Station, makes up the total 37,000 square feet of exhibit space.

The exclusive collections and more than 50 immersive world class exhibits focus on everything from late- night comedy to slap stick. Visitors are taken on an interactive journey through comedy history with cutting-edge personalization technology that helps make a humor profile that is embedded onto a radio-frequency ID wristband for each visitor. This allows for customization of the exhibit experiences, and encourages reflection on, and education in, one's own sense of humor.

There are also personal archives on display from people including Lenny Bruce, Rodney Dangerfield, the Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, Jerry Lewis, Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller, Jerry Seinfeld, George Carlin, and more.