Article Contributed by
National Comedy Center
The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival experience is not complete without a visit to the award-winning National Comedy Center. If you have not yet experienced the Comedy Center, it’s an interactive playground for comedy fans, offering an immersive exhibits for visitors of all ages, featuring state-of-the-art technology and personalization throughout the 37,000-square-foot museum complex. With over 50 exhibits, there is a wide variety of experiences to choose from as guests explore every genre of comedy, from stand-up, sketch and improv to television, radio, movies and more.
If you have already visited the Comedy Center, there’s always something new to experience, from new artifacts on display to new multi-media exhibits, including the Johnny Carson Immersive Experience with hologram host Jimmy Fallon, the Carl Reiner exhibit featuring his collaborations with Mel Brooks, Steve Martin and Dick Van Dyke, and the Carolines on Broadway exhibit.
Here we’ve highlighted some of the most popular, “must see” interactive experiences at the National Comedy Center.
Create Your Sense of Humor Profile
Personalization is at the heart of the National Comedy Center experience. As you begin your National Comedy Center visit, we invite you to tell us the comedians, movies and TV shows that you like best, so that we can create your customized Sense of Humor profile. That information is stored on a LaughBand, worn on your wrist. As you scan your LaughBand throughout the experience, each interactive exhibit presents personalized content based on your comedy taste and preferences.
Green Screen Experience
Put yourself and your friends and family in classic TV shows and movies including the iconic I Love Lucy chocolate factory scene, and favorite scenes from Dumb and Dumber, Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, plus classic pie fights, movie car crash scenes and more.
Comedy Continuum
Explore the connections and collaborations between artists on this state-of-the-art, 60-foot digital touch screen video wall. Learn the “six degrees of separation” between your favorite comedy stars and their greatest influences as you build webs that link comedic talent across genres and eras in comedy, and unlock their hidden connections.
Comedy Karaoke
It’s your turn to take the stage as you perform a classic comedy routine in front of your family and friends. Choose stand-up material from Jerry Seinfeld, Ali Wong, Jeff Foxworthy, Chris Rock, John Mulaney, Aziz Ansari and many more. If the spotlight is not your thing, cheer on your friends and family while enjoying a beverage in our Karaoke lounge.
Laugh Battle
Compete with friends and family to see who can make each other laugh. Microsoft AI facial recognition technology detects whether you smiled or laughed when a joke is delivered by your opponent. If you manage not to laugh, you’ll score the point.
Prop Stars
Explore how iconic comedy props – the “arrow through the head,” the anvil, the rubber chicken, “Groucho” glasses, whoopie cushion, and many more – have been used throughout comedy history, as clips from classic films, TV shows and cartoons featuring those props are showcased.
Draw a Cartoon
Try your hand at cartooning by following the instructions on the touchscreen monitor. Have fun creating your own characters and cartoon panels, which will be sent to you via email after your visit.
Late Night Camera
Get behind the camera and travel back through time to explore the iconic studios and production sets that served as the homes for legendary late night television talk shows over the past 70 years.
