23 Jan National Comedy Center to Launch Memory Café, Offering Laughter and Connection to Adults with Memory Loss and Their Caregivers
January 23, 2025 – The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official cultural institution dedicated to the art of comedy, has announced the launch of a memory café designed to provide laughter, comfort and connection for adults with memory loss and their caregivers.
One Laugh at a Time: A National Comedy Center Memory Café will offer respite and a welcoming environment for those with memory loss, including dementia-related illnesses and Alzheimer’s, and their caregivers, partners and family members. The program will take place at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY on the first Monday of each month, enabling participants to explore the museum’s interactive exhibits and theater presentations at their own pace, while enjoying comedy’s greatest legends and favorite stand-up, TV and movie moments for an experience filled with nostalgia and laughter: Johnny Carson, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Laugh-In, I Love Lucy and much more. Participants will also have the opportunity to socialize, connect and find community in the Comedy Center’s Karaoke Lounge.
The memory café program is free but attendees are requested to pre-register at ComedyCenter.org/memorycafe. The first session will take place on Monday, February 3, 2025, at 10 am.
“Comedy has always been a bridge to shared experiences and cherished memories,” stated National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson. “With the launch of our memory café, the National Comedy Center is creating a space where laughter becomes a powerful tool for connection and joy – offering meaningful engagement for those navigating memory challenges as well as providing respite and stress relief for caregivers and family members.”
“The idea for the National Comedy Center’s memory café was inspired by heartfelt stories from visitors – family members of individuals with memory loss – who shared how laughter at the same comedy sparked unexpected moments of connection when verbal communication had become challenging,” added Gunderson.
“We understand that caregiving can place significant demands on relationships with family members and friends,” stated Rochelle Mole, National Comedy Center Chief Operating and Financial Officer. “We’re pleased to be creating a welcoming space where participants can take a pause, reconnect, share a laugh, and simply enjoy meaningful moments together.”
The National Comedy Center’s memory café is made possible by Exhale, The Family Caregiver Initiative, in partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Health Foundation for Western and Central New York.
The National Comedy Center opened in 2018 and is the first and only Congressionally-designated national archive for the art of comedy, and one of the most interactive museums in the country. Named one of the “World’s Greatest Places” by TIME magazine and the “Best New Museum” by USA Today, the Comedy Center has collaborated with dozens of artists and estates to tell stories representing comedy’s significant artistic, social, and political role in American culture including the contributions of legendary artists like George Carlin, Johnny Carson, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Carl Reiner, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers, Lenny Bruce, The Smothers Brothers, and the development of groundbreaking creative work such as sketch comedy series Laugh-In, Saturday Night Live, In Living Color, and more.
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.
The National Comedy Center is one of eleven Western New York institutions awarded grants as part of Exhale’s Memory Café Collective. Other grant recipients include: Artpark & Company; The Ashford Hollow Foundation; Buffalo History Museum; Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences; Burchfield Penney Art Center; Cradle Beach, Inc.; Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Corporation; Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York, Inc.; Niagara Arts & Cultural Center; and the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, Inc.
The National Comedy Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural institution funded by philanthropic support. Donations and grants support the museum, the memory café and the museum’s work to present the vital story of comedy and preserve its heritage for future generations. Visit comedycenter.org.
About the National Comedy Center
The National Comedy Center is the United States’ Congressionally-designated archive dedicated to preserving comedy’s heritage and one of the most interactive museums in the world. Named the “Best New Museum” by USA Today and one of the “World’s Greatest Places” by TIME magazine, the state-of-the-art cultural institution presents the vital story of comedy within its one-of-a-kind exhibit galleries in Jamestown, New York.
Since its opening in 2018, the Comedy Center has collaborated with artists and estates to tell stories representing the significant artistic, social, and political role that comedy has played in American culture.
Based on the vision of Jamestown native Lucille Ball for her hometown to become a destination for the celebration of comedy, the 501(c)(3) 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.