"Lucy, I'm Home!" - Jamestown, New York Will Make You Laugh
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I’m betting many of you have never heard of Jamestown, New York.
I’m willing to wager too that many young people under the age of 30 haven’t heard of Jamestown’s beloved icon, born there on August 6, 1911.
Her name is Lucille Ball. In 2020, Time Magazine recognized Ms. Ball as one of America’s most important Hollywood stars, producers, and entertainment executives of all time.. Lucky for us, the citizens of Jamestown have paid homage to their favorite redhead in a spectacular fashion.
Where is Jamestown?
Jamestown, New York is located an easy 75 miles from Buffalo NY, 170 miles from Pittsburgh, PA, and is roughly a ½ days drive from NYC and Philly. Why go?
Because this place is loaded with history and a few surprises.
Whether or not you are a Lucille Ball fan, visiting the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz Museum is a must see. Between the clothes, cars,and interactive displays, you can’t help but enjoy yourself. My favorite exhibits are the sound stage replicas of Lucy and Desi’s apartment and hotel room from the 1950’s I Love Lucy show; sure to delight anyone familiar with the television classic.
Another surprise was discovering the American Comedy Center, a few blocks from Lucy and Desi’s place. You can easily spend a few hours immersing yourself in this new and impressively modern museum dedicated to America’s love for comedy.
When you first enter the Comedy Center, stop and take the short quiz allowing you to customize your tour around the types of comedy you prefer. Once established, the interactive displays become tailor made. For the extra adventurous, visit the Blue Room (not for the kiddos) which covers the history of comedy and comedians with a more naughty vibe.
I highly recommend spending a night in Jamestown. I didn’t find a whole lot of variety in accommodations but the inn I chose proved perfect for us.
The Oaks Bed and Breakfast is advertised online as a BandB and hotel spiritual center. For this reason, I initially swiped left on TripAdvisor. I returned and booked however; because the description of the inn’s initial history as a 10,000 square foot mansion built in 1930 got me super curious. I didn’t see Norma Desmond, but this bed and breakfast is loaded with Hollywood style charm.
Upon arrival, Josh welcomed us inside with a quick tour and helped with our bags. Josh turned out to be front desk clerk, bellman, AND breakfast cook. While we more or less shimmied ourselves with our luggage into our overstuffed room filled with 1990’s era Victorian furniture, our bed was super comfortable and the room very quiet. The mansion itself is still in amazing shape. I didn’t see anything “spiritual” going on but the retreat center looks like a great spot to hold a weekend gathering with friends and/or co-workers. Our fellow breakfast diners were friendly and eager to share their own reasons for being in the area.
Dinner downtown at the Chophouse on Main was delicious. The restaurant has a pleasant ambiance and the servers and bartenders couldn’t have been friendlier.
If you find yourself within the vicinity of Jamestown, I say with a resounding “YES”, the city is worth at least an overnight stay. Both the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz and American Comedy Museums are delightful tributes to the art of comedy. In these unusual times, who couldn’t use more reasons to laugh?
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