22 May National Comedy Center Announces KIDS & TEENS FREE ALL SUMMER Underwritten by Shults Auto Group
Jamestown, New York – May 19, 2023 – The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official museum and cultural institution dedicated to comedy, has announced today that kids and teens, age 17 and under, will be admitted to its museums for free throughout the summer, made possible with the generous support of Shults Auto Group.
This unprecedented, 14-week summer admission opportunity will enable more families to experience the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY on the heels of it being named one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Top 25 Family Weekend Getaways” in the country – joining Walt Disney World and Disneyland on that list. Up to two kids and teens will be admitted free with an accompanying paying adult from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
“With free admission for kids all summer long, at a national attraction named one of the best family destinations in the country and going toe-to-toe with spots like Disneyland on that list, there has never been a better time to visit the National Comedy Center,” stated National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson. “We are thrilled that this unique opportunity makes the interactive museum experience more accessible for families – made possible by the generous underwriting of Shults Auto Group,” stated National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson.
“Shults Auto Group is pleased to join with the National Comedy Center to offer more kids the chance to experience this award-winning museum throughout the summer months, while making it more accessible than ever before for residents of our community and throughout Western New York,” stated Tim Shults, President of Shults Auto Group. “There is nothing like a day of laughter and fun at the National Comedy Center, so the Shults Auto Group team wanted to make it possible for more families and kids to enjoy this national attraction.”
The National Comedy Center, which was named the “#1 Best New Museum” and the “#2 Best New Attraction” in the country by USA Today, and one of the “World’s Greatest Places” by TIME magazine, offers immersive and interactive experiences designed for families and children of all ages to enjoy a curation of comedy’s greatest content throughout time, use green screens to get into classic comedy scenes, create their own memes and cartoons, and even try comedy karaoke.
In addition to being recently named by U.S. News & World Report as a “25 Top Family Weekend Getaway in the U.S.” in a list of destinations that included Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Western New York Family Magazine called the National Comedy Center a “Must See Destination for school-aged children,”, and I LOVE NY named the Comedy Center one of the best “family-friendly indoor activities” in New York State. Macaroni KID raved about the Comedy Center’s “kid-friendly laughs,” stating, ”We spent nearly four hours at the museum and still had to drag our 7- and 9-year-olds away!”
The Kids and Teens Free program will run from May 26, 2023 through Monday, September 4, 2023. Up to two kids and teens will be admitted free to both the National Comedy Center museum and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum with the purchase of an admission ticket by an accompanying adult. Full details for this special admission offer are available at ComedyCenter.org/kids.
About the National Comedy Center
The National Comedy Center is the United States’ official cultural institution and museum dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations, as formally designated by the U.S. Congress. Opened in 2018 in Jamestown, New York, the museum complex offers an unprecedented, immersive visitor experience using state-of-the-art technology, interactivity, and personalization.
USA Today named the National Comedy Center the “Best New Museum in the Country, TIME magazine named it one of its “World’s Greatest Places,” and U.S. News & World Report selected it as one of the “25 Top Family Weekend Getaways in the U.S.,” while Condé Nast Traveler called the National Comedy Center “one of the best museums in the country,” and People magazine named it one of “100 Reasons to Love America.”
The National Comedy Center has been featured in The New York Times, on CBS Saturday Morning, CBS Sunday Morning and on NBC’s TODAY Show, which called it “the Smithsonian of Comedy.”
Visitors from all 50 states and eighteen countries have given the Center a rare 5/5 rating on TripAdvisor, ranking among the highest in the attraction and tourism industry.
Based on the vision of Jamestown native Lucille Ball for her hometown to become a destination for comedy, the non-profit National Comedy Center’s mission is to provide education on the comedic arts in the form of commentary and contextualization of its bodies of work across all eras and genres of the art form.
The National Comedy Center opened in 2018 and has collaborated with dozens of artists and estates to preserve materials that represent comedy’s significant artistic, social, and political contributions to American culture including collections illustrating the careers of legendary artists like George Carlin, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Carl Reiner, Betty White, Lenny Bruce, The Smothers Brothers, and the development of groundbreaking creative work such as sketch comedy series In Living Color, Saturday Night Live, and more.
Two new exhibits opened last summer – Johnny Carson: The Immersive Experience Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, a multi-screen theater presentation celebrating Johnny Carson’s 30 years hosting The Tonight Show 30 years later, and Carl Reiner: Keep Laughing, a multi-media, interactive exhibit that honors and celebrates Carl Reiner during his centennial year.
Within the Comedy Center’s museum galleries, more than 50 interactive exhibits and immersive experiences employ cutting-edge technology to present the story of comedy from its origins to the present day – using archival documents, artifacts, and media as their core. Its educational programming on the art form has featured George Lopez, Tiffany Haddish, Margaret Cho, Norman Lear, Debra Messing, Rain Pryor (daughter of Richard Pryor), Jay Leno, Kenan Thompson, Gabriel Iglesias, Ben Stiller, John Cleese, Jimmy Fallon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and many more.
The National Comedy Center operates the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, which explores the lives, careers, and legacy of the “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.
The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, produced and presented by the National Comedy Center, has showcased comedy’s greatest stars and rising young comedians, including Jerry Seinfeld, Trevor Noah, Lily Tomlin, John Mulaney, Margaret Cho, Jeff Foxworthy, Jay Leno, Amy Schumer, Sebastian Maniscalco, W. Kamau Bell, David Spade, Jim Gaffigan, Paula Poundstone, Joan Rivers, Kevin Nealon and more than one hundred other comedic artists. The 2023 festival will feature headliners Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and Taylor Tomlinson and over 50 live events.
The National Comedy Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural institution whose mission is funded by philanthropic support. Donations and grants support the museum and its work to present the vital story of comedy and preserve its heritage for future generations.
Stay connected to the National Comedy Center and Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum:
Websites: www.ComedyCenter.org | www.LucyDesi.com
Facebook: National Comedy Center | Facebook | Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum | Facebook
Twitter and Instagram: @ntlcomedycenter | @lucydesimuseum
About Shults Auto Group
Shults Auto Group is a family-owned and operated dealership group with locations in Jamestown,
Dunkirk, Olean, Lakewood in New York and Warren in Pennsylvania. They offer a wide variety of new
and used vehicles from brands including Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, Subaru, Nissan, Chrysler, Dodge,
Jeep, and Ram. Shults Auto Group also offers full-service repair and parts facilities that can handle all
of your automotive needs. Recently celebrating their 50-Year Anniversary, the Shults Auto Group is
committed to supporting our local communities and continuing to build strong roots within the areas
we’re proud to serve.
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