Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy

The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, commonly known as the Lucy Desi Museum, is a museum at 2 West 3rd Street, Jamestown, New York. Affiliated with the nearby National Comedy Center, the museum is 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.

Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum
Location of National Comedy Center New York State
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 Steet)
Jamestown, New York 14701
Coordinates42.09651°N 79.24161°W / 42.09651; -79.24161
Websitewww.lucy-desi.com

Displays

The museum consists of:

  • A display of artifacts and memorabilia of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
  • Desilu Studios, highlighting props, costumes, and sets
  • 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[1]

The museum is located near Ball's childhood homes in Celoron and Jamestown and her final resting place in the family plot at Lake View Cemetery.[2][3]

Comedy festival

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,[4] 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. 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.[5]

The museum is an international tourist destination for Lucille Ball fans to celebrate her life and legacy.

References
  1. "Luci-Desi Museum Attractions". Luci-Desi Museum. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  2. "Find a Grave: Lake View Cemetery"
  3. "Lucille Ball". Find a Grave. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  4. "The Peak of Summer in Chautauqua County". Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  5. "Lucille Ball Comedy Festival". Step Out Buffalo. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
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