Three days to remember.
Day One: We stroll out of the premier of award-winning playwright Sharyn Rothstein’s “Best for Baby,” a takedown of Johnson & Johnson in the powder scandal, to hear a symphony orchestra playing in a light summer breeze off the lake.
Day Two: We attend an evocative dance performance followed by a lecture by David Wallace Wells, a journalist known for his reporting on climate change.
Day Three: We do the harmony hattrick - a concert of chamber music, an orchestra performance and a recital by José Ramón Méndez, widely regarded as one of the most exciting Spanish pianists of his generation.
This deep dive into culture comes with the territory at Chautauqua Institution, where the arts get a summer address on 750 acres in the rolling hills of Western New York. In addition to entertainment, the nonprofit Chautauqua, operating for more than 150 years, hosts dozens of prominent speakers on a wide range of topics. Plus, there’s plentiful recreation, including water activities, and virtually no cars.
Over the years, Chautauqua has inspired the launch of many other arts communities, including the Disney Institute.
History is everywhere at Chautauqua, which was created in 1874. It has been visited by United States presidents from Ulysses S. Grant to Bill Clinton, and by other prominent Americans, including Booker T. Washington, Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, Margaret Mead, Yo Yo Ma, Bob Woodward, Sandra Day O’Connor and Ken Burns.
Over the course of nine weeks, more than 100,000 people visit the National Historic District to participate in 2,000 programs, classes and events. Within the idyllic lakeside setting, there are nine major performing arts facilities and several restaurants.
For those who build their summer around concerts, theater, dance performances and lectures, there are more than 1,000 private households as well as a few hotels. In fact, these arts devotees who situate themselves just steps from worldclass performances have a name: Chautauquans.
And, we admit, our three days in the enchanting village left us envious of Chautauquans, who get to be immersed in the arts without even leaving their front porch.
I Love Lucy…
and Jamestown, N.Y
Little city delivers big laughs
Nestled between Lake Erie and the Allegheny National Forest, Jamestown is a sleepy spot on the tip of Chautauqua Lake. But it pulses with comedic energy thanks to its most famous daughter, Lucille Ball.
We traveled to this Western New York city, about 16 miles from Chautauqua Institution, to explore the National Comedy Center and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum. Both feature Smithsonian-level work on American comedy of the past century or more.
Every August, the National Comedy Center presents its annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which showcases rising comedians as well as legends. Jerry Seinfeld and Seth Myers headlined this year.
A-list performers also have included Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Trevor Noah, Nate Bargatze, John Mulaney, Taylor Tomlinson, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Bill Murray, Joan Rivers and The Smothers Brothers.
Back to our visit: The 37,000-square-foot National Comedy Center is a giant playground for people who love to laugh. Inspired by Lucy’s vision, it includes more than 50 immersive exhibits that trace comedy’s evolution from vaudeville to viral memes.
We didn’t just look at the exhibits. Instead, we became part of the experience. After creating our personalized humor profiles with the LaughBand, we wandered through interactive experiences that drew us into the history of comedy.
We stepped into moments from ”I Love Lucy” and “Saturday Night Live” at the Act the Part Green Screen Experience then tried our hand at late‑night TV production with the “Late Night” Studio Camera.
The Comedy Continuum - a sprawling display showing how funny guys influenced one another across generations – was mind-boggling.
We explored iconic artifacts like Johnny Carson’s Rolodex and Joan Rivers’ joke files as well as other memorabilia from performers who’ve elevated comedy to an art form. There was so much to see and do that we could have stayed all day.
But we moved on to the National Comedy Center’s sister property, the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, dedicated to the power couple, which was just a block away.
From the legendary TV series “I Love Lucy,” there were re‑creations of Lucy and Ricky Ricardos’ apartment on television as well as costumes and props, Emmy Awards and scripts.
Our home base for the getaway was the DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown, just steps from the laugh-out-loud institutions. Our clean, attractive room – complete with a king‑sized Sweet Dreams bed and a 55‑inch HDTV – was a nice blend of comfort and convenience.
The staff was friendly, happily referring us to points of interest. The DoubleTree’s central location meant we could walk to nearly everything we wanted to see, and we enjoyed returning each evening to its quiet, inviting atmosphere.
So, in all seriousness, here’s what we realized: Whether you’re a lifelong Lucy fan, a stand‑up devotee, or simply someone who likes a good chuckle, Jamestown is where comedy lives. No joke.