Journey Gunderson
As the Executive Director of the National Comedy Center — the United States’ museum and national archive dedicated to comedy as designated by the U.S. Congress — Journey Gunderson has demonstrated the entrepreneurial passion, creative energy, and innovative spirit reminiscent of the pioneering woman whose vision she was hired to bring to life — Jamestown, New York’s own Lucille Ball.
Named one of the Top 50 Museum Influencers worldwide by international museum and attractions resource Blooloop, one of the “Innovators Who Changed Comedy” by comedy authority The Interrobang, and “Outstanding Tourism Executive of the Year” by the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association, Gunderson has guided the National Comedy Center in its 21st-century museum design, featuring state-of-the-art technology, interactivity and personalization customized for each visitor’s specific interests and tastes. She led the planning, strategy, fundraising and creative development for this ambitious project, forging relationships with supporters that range from local community organizers to the halls of state and federal government, and from cultural philanthropists to legendary comedy innovators.
Jon Stewart, John Mulaney, Journey Gunderson and Pete Davidson
Amy Poehler with Journey Gunderson. Poehler joined the National Comedy Center Advisory Board in 2022
The National Comedy Center is dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy, celebrating its great minds and unique voices, and preserving its heritage for future generations. Welcoming visitors from all 50 states and 34 countries, the National Comedy Center has established Jamestown as a national destination for comedy and a major tourism driver for Western New York. The 37,000-square-foot museum complex represents a $50 million initial capital investment, funded through a combination of federal, state and private philanthropic support, and is projected to generate $23 million in annual economic impact for the region.
Since its opening in 2018, the National Comedy Center has been called “the Smithsonian of Comedy” by NBC’s TODAY show and hailed by the New York Post — “Comedy heaven is real and it’s spectacular.” It has been named the nation’s “Best Pop Culture Museum” and “Best New Museum” in by USA Today, honored as one of the “World’s Greatest Places” by TIME, and selected as one of “100 Reasons to Love America” by People. Condé Nast Traveler called it “one of the best museums in the country,” while U.S. News & World Report named it among the “25 Top Family Weekend Getaways in the U.S.” on a list that includes Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
Lucille Ball Comedy Festival headliner Taylor Tomlinson tours the National Comedy Center with Journey Gunderson
Ribbon cutting for the Carl Reiner exhibit with Reiner’s children Rob, Annie and Lucas Reiner, as featured on CBS Sunday Morning
Under Gunderson’s leadership, the National Comedy Center established the Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation, the only national-scale research and conservation facility dedicated to preserving comedy’s heritage. The archive collects, preserves and provides access to objects, documents, photographs and recordings that represent comedy’s significant artistic, social and political contributions to American culture. Among its unprecedented and growing holdings are George Carlin’s handwritten joke files; records of Lenny Bruce’s obscenity trials and hand-annotated manuscripts; Joan Rivers’ card catalog of nearly 70,000 jokes; the archives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Stiller & Meara and production papers from landmark series such as I Love Lucy, Saturday Night Live, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Laugh-In, In Living Color, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and more.
Journey Gunderson and Jerry Seinfeld with Seinfeld artifacts from the National Comedy Center archives.
Gunderson led the Comedy Center’s partnership with Netflix on the comedy special The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up starring Jon Stewart, John Mulaney, Dave Chappelle, and Chelsea Handler honoring George Carlin, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, and Joan Rivers respectively, hosted by Pete Davidson and featuring tributes to Gilbert Gottfried, Louie Anderson, Bob Saget and Norm Macdonald by Jeff Ross. As a producer, Gunderson’s recent additions to the National Comedy Center exhibit experience include Johnny Carson: The Immersive Experience with Hologram Host Jimmy Fallon, a multi-screen theater presentation celebrating Johnny Carson’s 30 years hosting The Tonight Show, featuring Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Mel Brooks, Martin Short, Conan O’Brien, Byron Allen, Paula Poundstone, Billy Crystal, Jay Leno, and more.
Nate Bargatze and Journey Gunderson with cue cards from his viral Saturday Night Live sketch “Washington’s Dream.”
Gunderson has expanded access to the National Comedy Center through community and educational initiatives including school field trips connecting comedy with classroom learning across multiple disciplines; an award-winning virtual comedy festival created during the pandemic to bring museum programming to audiences nationwide; and reduced admission for families receiving food assistance through Museums for All. The Comedy Center’s monthly One Laugh at a Time Memory Café has been lauded for creating meaningful moments of joy and connection for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers, receiving two Gold honors from the global Anthem Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Engagement, alongside Anthem honorees including Google, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, AARP, Amazon Music, NPR, Clinton Global Initiative and UNICEF USA.
Journey Gunderson with National Comedy Center Advisory Board member Tiffany Haddish
Her national media appearances include The New York Times, NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and CBS Saturday Morning and CBS Sunday Morning. She appeared in the Emmy Award-winning Imagine Entertainment documentary feature Lucy and Desi, directed by Amy Poehler and executive produced by Ron Howard; the forthcoming feature documentary Sock It to Me: The Legend of George Schlatter; and the CBS Studios docuseries TV We Love, airing on The CW network, in episodes featuring I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners and Cheers.
Seth Meyers with Journey Gunderson as he arrives at the National Comedy Center before performing at the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
Gunderson leads the planning and execution of the National Comedy Center’s annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which, for 35 years, has showcased comedy’s rising talent and greatest stars, including Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers, John Mulaney, Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers, Bill Murray, Taylor Tomlinson, Nate Bargatze, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Sebastian Maniscalco, Amy Schumer, W. Kamau Bell, Paula Poundstone, Jim Gaffigan, The Smothers Brothers, Jeff Foxworthy, Dan Aykroyd, Margaret Cho, Bert Kreischer, David Spade and Kevin Nealon.
Lucille Ball Comedy Festival headliner Jeff Foxworthy tours the National Comedy Center with Journey Gunderson
While leading the National Comedy Center, Gunderson also serves as Executive Director of Jamestown’s Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum preserving and celebrating the life, careers and legacies of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz – America’s “First Couple of Comedy” – and the incredible impact they had on the world, as well as the pioneering role and remarkable influence that I Love Lucy and Desilu Studios had on the entertainment industry for generations to come.
Gunderson was named to Buffalo Business First’s “40 Under 40” list, selected annually for its “Power Women” list since 2018, and honored with its “C-Level” Executive Award in 2021. She serves as an event partner for the renowned Chautauqua Institution, programming a five-day lecture series focused on comedy during its summer season.