Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Center

The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy is a museum at 2 West 3rd Street, Jamestown, New York, dedicated to the lives and careers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The museum officially opened in 1996 "to preserve and celebrate the legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and enrich the world through the healing powers of love and laughter". Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown on August 6, 1911.

The museum is located just minutes from Lucy's childhood homes in Celoron and Jamestown, and her final resting place in the family plot at Lake View Cemetery.[1][2] The Center for Comedy consists of:

  • the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, housing artifacts and memorabilia of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
  • the Desilu Studios museum, containing both replica and original I Love Lucy TV sets and props, many of which were created for the show's 50th-anniversary tour, as well as other artifacts related to the show and its creators and co-stars
  • the Tropicana Room event facility, which is an exact recreation of Ricky Ricardo's nightclub from the show
  • a stand-alone gift shop

Formerly, each May, the museum celebrated 'Lucy-Desi Days' which featured several events included panel discussions with those closest to Lucy and Desi. In the spring of 1989, Lucille 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.[3] Unfortunately she died shortly before the scheduled event. In 1991, The Comedy Center established the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which is now held every August. 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.[4]

The museum is a prime tourist destination, and Lucy fans from around the world come to celebrate the life and legacy of Jamestown's favorite daughter.

References

  1. ↑ "Find a Grave: Lake View Cemetery"
  2. ↑ "Lucille Ball". Find a Grave. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  3. ↑ "The Peak of Summer in Chautauqua County". Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  4. ↑ "Lucille Ball Comedy Festival". Step Out Buffalo. Retrieved 2017-07-23.

Coordinates: 42°05′47″N 79°14′30″W / 42.09651°N 79.24161°W / 42.09651; -79.24161

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