The Lucille Ball Hometown Experience – Jamestown, New York

Growing up I always watched I love Lucy with my mom as she grew up watching it. The series aired from 1951-1957. Today, more than 70 years since the last episode aired on May 6, 1957, this amazing comedic icon named Lucille Ball is still entertaining people everyday. Thus when Gene and I were in Buffalo NY for my birthday in 2021 we had to make sure and visit the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum in her hometown, Jamestown. I didn’t know what to expect really, but I was excited to visit, and it didn’t disappoint. We had an amazing I love Lucy experience.

First a little history about Lucille Ball. She was the daughter of Henry Durrell “Had” Ball and Désirée Evelyn “DeDe” Ball in Jamestown, New  York born on August 6, 1911. Lucy’s father died of typhoid fever at age 27, when she was only three. After his death, her maternal grandparents helped raise her and brother Fred in Celoron, a summer resort village on Lake Chautauqua, 2.5 miles just west of downtown Jamestown. This park had a children’s slide; the Pier Ballroom; a roller-coaster; a bandstand; and a stage where vaudeville concerts and plays were presented. This is where she is said dot have fell in love with acting.

After she was a little older she spent some time in New York getting a few parts in plays here and there. In the 1039’s she ended up moving to Hollywood hoping to find work in the film industry.  She had some luck, but as fate would have it, in 194o she met and fell in love with Desi Arnaz. They would end up getting married on November 30, 1940. While their marriage sadly only lasted until May of 196o, they will forever live in our hearts and Lucy and Ricky :).

With many happy memories in my mind, we made our way to Jamestown and the museum. When we  arrived we parked and made our way into the gift shop (I know shocking) to purchase our tickets. They gave us a wrist band which entitled us to visit two of the three exhibits: (which are in two different buildings) The I Love Lucy Experience as well as the Incredible Lives and Careers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. . Of course the first thing I wanted to see was the I Love Lucy Experience which was a recreation of the sound set, props, memorabilia, and such from the series. I was in heaven :). Gene kept chuckling at me when I said “Hey looks, it’s this for this or that from a particular episode, lol.

When you first walk in, the e got to see a replica living room, kitchen, and a few other things like the door to their New York apartment. They also have sections that talk about the lives of the four principle characters, Fred (William Frawley), Ethel (Vivian Vance), Ricky (Desi Arnaz), and Lucy (Lucille Ball). I also enjoyed seeing some of her dresses, costumes, and the outfits that they wore during the series. There was also a little video of some of the skits they performed. It was very funny and brought back a bunch of memories of watching the show as an adult with my friend Kerry.

Another section had a replica of their hotel studio while they were in Los Angeles as well as a bunch of photos from around the area and set while they were filming. I love the ones of when they met Bill Holden, lol. This is where they showed some of the equipment used for the filming of the series, as well as some shots of the studio audience through the years. Of course they talked about Lucille’s mom and that she was there for every taping. Impressive.

Of course, they had to have a display of Vitameatvegamin where you can perform  your own commercial like Lucy did on the episode Lucy Does a TV Commercial, lol. Still one of the favorites!  They have little bottles on a sign you could hold for pictures and can take with you. I kept mine and sent it with a small  gift to Kerry. It was also one of her favorites. We also really enjoyed Kramers Candy Kitchen on the episode named  Job Switching., lol.  So many funny episodes.

They also had a room with 6, count them 6, Oscar trophies. That was SO impressive. They also had a few family pictures in the room, but there were a lot more in the Incredible Lives and Careers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz exhibit building.

We left the I Love Lucy Experience and headed their to check it out . As advertised there were a lot of family history about Lucy and Ricky. They even had a short video with some of their family and friends. While there you get to learn more about how they created the Desilu Studios as well as the influence these icons have had on American television. It was interesting to learn more about their history. I knew a little bit before our visit, but learned a lot more while exploring the exhibit.

They also had a lot of pictures of two houses where Lucy grew lived and grew up. Happily we were given a map to them as well as a few other memorials, her high school, some parks where she played and  many murals of the I Love Lucy show around Jamestown. Sadly it also had the location of the cemetery where she was laid to rest.

We saw the two houses and a couple of the murals before we made our way to the cemetery named Lakeview Cemetery. It was nice to be able to visit and say thank you to her for all the laughs and wonderful memories. I couldn’t help but remember the morning when I heard she had passed :(. It is definitely a day I won’t forget, and now I won’t forget this trip to Jamestown, NY and the birthplace of Lucille Ball.

We had an amazing time visiting the city of Jamestown and all the joy of experiencing a little in the life of Lucille Ball. I wish we had more time to have checked out the other museum called the National Comedy Center. Hopefully on a future trip we can visit it and check out of few more murals as well as her school. Since it was October it was starting to get late and we ended up heading back to Buffalo. If you haven’t been it is a wonderful place to visit if you ever were a fan of Lucy. Here is a link to their website, and I will list some basic info below. Hope you enjoyed my tour of their lives and her hometown. Please share your experience below if you have been on your own tour. Would love to hear from you.