A Laugh Break at the National Comedy Center

My writing friend, Sue Henninger, had a great idea recently to visit the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY, for a break from the editing of our novels, neither of which are funny. She learned that the center has a new Carl Reiner exhibit that shares his creative process, career highlights, and also sketches the type of human being he was—apparently a very kind man as expressed by his peers.

I’ve wanted to visit the National Comedy Center for a while now, so when Sue suggested this professional-development field trip, I agreed right away. After some rigorous schedule coordinating, we came up with April 3. She had a three-hour drive and mine was only an hour. [For English majors, how many hours apart do Sue and Ann live?]

Here’s a rundown of what to expect if you visit. You’ll enter an ultra-modern lobby that foreshadows a unique experience to come. Tickets are not terribly expensive ($33.50) and there’s an option to bundle with the nearby Lucille Desi Museum ($40.50). You’re going to get a wristband that’s not just a piece of paper. You’ll be using it to enhance your experience.

The first thing you’ll do is visit one of the kiosks located in the lobby that will tailor many of the exhibits to your individual comedy preferences. On a large display you’ll select which comedians, movies, TV shows, and comics are your favorites. That’s a fun exercise in itself.

After you gain entrance through the turnstiles using your wristband, prepare yourself for a visit lasting anywhere from two to five hours. I maintain that even five hours is not long enough if you truly want to experience everything the center has to offer. I’m going to have to go back.

Sue and I went straight to the Carl Reiner multi-media exhibit and we spent a good amount of time there, Sue more than me. There were artifacts and interactive stations to view clips from programs like the Dick Van Dyke Show. You can watch the clip with the script alongside. I have to say, of Dick Van Dyke, Morey Amsterdam, and Mary Tyler Moore, it was Mary who remembered her lines best. She didn’t stray at all from the script, even the scribbled in words.

The Carl Reiner exhibit has artifacts like his typewriter case and the living room where he and Mel Brooks used to sit in night after night, eating from TV trays, visiting, and watching television. What a friendship. You can also view a suit from the wardrobe of Rose Marie, who played Sally Rogers on the Dick Van Dyke Show.

I left Sue in the Carl Reiner room and went exploring, stopping off in a hallway showing videos of the history of USO shows, political humor, and humor that heals. Then I wandered into an area where you can create your own meme. You submit it and maybe it will go viral. Ha Ha! I made one with a nice clean joke. 

When Sue and I started to get hungry, we were happy that we had asked the guy at the front desk for recommendations. Many restaurants in Jamestown are closed on Monday and we had the added challenge of finding ones that had at least a little something for the vegetarian (me). I had identified three possibilities on the Internet the day before, but to my delight, the center made a Sunday & Monday Dining Guide. We decided on Cherry Lounge, which is walkable from the center. It’s a small bar that is warm and welcoming and the food is fantastic. I had a Greek Salad and fries. Sue had a taco salad and onion rings. We both imbibed on a beer (hers-fancy craft; mine Bud Light). 

After lunch, feeling very mellow, we headed back to the comedy center and looked around some more. We sat for the 36-minute video on Johnny Carson and his comedy legacy. It was fascinating to see how many comedians got their start on his show and what a funny man he truly was. The MC was a hologram of Jimmy Fallon and we each posed for a picture with him.

We also took the elevator to the Blue Room, which is a place you don’t take the kids. It was hilarious and informative at the same time. There was information on Lenny Bruce’s nine words and George Carlin’s seven. 

I loved the Rusty Warren exhibit and had never heard of her before. She was a pianist, singer and comedian. She recorded a song and used it in her act, called “Knockers Up” which told women to throw their shoulders back and get their knockers up. When I read this, I thought immediately of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel who often says, “Tits up,” and I wondered if this is based on Rusty Warren’s work.

There are 50 immersive exhibits at the 37,000 square foot National Comedy Center and I think we did fewer than half of them. You can write a joke, draw a cartoon, see yourself on television, do a bit of stand up, and even sing some karaoke. The facility is accessible and also offers plenty of places to rest your feet and relax a bit, including in the karaoke bar where there are cocktails and snacks. And the gift shop? It is expansive and fun. I bought some pens with funny messages, such as “Emergency Holistic Medical Services – Who needs a defibrillator when we have good vibrations? The 9-1-1 Alternative.” I can’t wait to give out these pens or leave them in a doctor’s office when I sign in.

I’m so glad Sue suggested we visit the National Comedy Center. It was a good opportunity to step away from editing and do some serious laughing—and learning. As we were leaving, we used our wrist bands to print a “Joke to Go” tailored just for us. Fittingly, mine said: