Overview
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, in New York's Southern Tier. The birthplace of actress Lucille Ball, Jamestown is now home to the National Comedy Center, a state-of-the-art interactive museum. You can also enjoy the waterfront of Chautauqua Lake and the Chadakoin River.
3 sights · 3 things to do · 5 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 4 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Jamestown
National Comedy Center
The first major museum in the U.S. dedicated to comedy, the National Comedy Center opened in August 2018 as the culmination of years of effort from major figures in American comedy. The advisory board has included Carl R…
The Lucy-Desi Museum
Operated by the National Comedy Center, this museum celebrates the lives and entertainment careers of Jamestown native Lucille Ball and her co-star husband Desi Arnaz through interactive displays, personal belongings and…
Chautauqua Belle
Before the railroads and highways, and into the middle of the 20th century, Chautauqua Lake was filled with steamships carrying both passengers and cargo to the surrounding communities. The Chautauqua Belle, launched in …
Northwest Arena
features open ice skating, hockey, concerts and indoor soccer leagues.
Lucille Ball Memorial Park
This quaint waterfront park is notable primarily for its statue of Lucille Ball, who grew up in Celoron just a few blocks to the south. The original Lucy statue, unveiled in 2009 and depicting the famous "Vitametavegamin…
Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History
Is a national center for nature education named for the award-winning naturalist and author of a popular series of natural history field guides. Featured are nature exhibits as well as wildlife art and photography. Trail…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 81°F; winter lows dip to about 14°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and Jul. (climate data from nearby Titusville)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BFD Bradford Regional Airport, Bradford — 37 mi away. Directions
- ERI Erie International Tom Ridge Field, Erie — 48 mi away. Directions
- BUF Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Buffalo — 64 mi away (major hub). Directions
Jamestown lies just south of Interstate 86 (New York State Route 17), a cross-state route that runs from I-90 at Erie, Pennsylvania, across the Southern Tier to I-81 at Binghamton. It's the most common way to get to Jamestown.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $15 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning National Comedy Center, Lucille Ball Memorial Park
- Lunch The Main Landing
- Afternoon Northwest Arena
- Dinner Lisciandro's Restaurant
- Evening Wine Cellar
Day 2
- Morning The Lucy-Desi Museum, Chautauqua Belle
- Lunch Forte
- Afternoon Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History
- Dinner Johnny's Lunch
- Evening The Cherry Lounge
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Although Jamestown is a small city, it is the largest in Chautauqua County. It has cold, snowy winters and mild summers, even cool at night sometimes in August.
Get in
By car
Jamestown lies just south of Interstate 86 (New York State Route 17), a cross-state route that runs from I-90 at Erie, Pennsylvania, across the Southern Tier to I-81 at Binghamton. It's the most common way to get to Jamestown.
Coming from the north, you might take State Route 60 from Dunkirk and Fredonia, or U.S. 62 from Buffalo. U.S. 62 proceeds south to Warren, Pennsylvania).
By plane
Get around
You will need a car as public transportation is very limited. Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System (CARTS, soon to be rebranded CHQ Transit) has small buses that travel around Jamestown and into the western suburbs, but the schedules and routes are more suited to residents' needs than those of tourists.
See
See National Comedy Center
The first major museum in the U.S. dedicated to comedy, the National Comedy Center opened in August 2018 as the culmination of years of effort from major figures in American comedy. The advisory board has included Carl Reiner, Laraine Newman, Lewis Black, Jim Gaffigan, Paula Poundstone, and many others. The museum offers more than 50 exhibits, from start-of-the-art interactive experiences to artifacts and memorabilia. Coded wristbands allow exhibits to customize themselves to visitors' individual preferences. Highlights include a hologram theater, a stand-up lounge, and the adults-only "Blue Room". Personal archives housed at the museum include those of Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Phyllis Diller, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, and Jerry Seinfeld. A gift shop offers souvenirs and light café selections; drinks (including alcohol) and snacks are available at the comedy karaoke bar.
See The Lucy-Desi Museum
Operated by the National Comedy Center, this museum celebrates the lives and entertainment careers of Jamestown native Lucille Ball and her co-star husband Desi Arnaz through interactive displays, personal belongings and video screenings. One part of the museum is dedicated entirely to I Love Lucy with artifacts and set recreations. The two parts of the museum each has a gift shop.
See Lucille Ball Memorial Park
This quaint waterfront park is notable primarily for its statue of Lucille Ball, who grew up in Celoron just a few blocks to the south. The original Lucy statue, unveiled in 2009 and depicting the famous "Vitametavegamin" scene, was quickly dubbed "Scary Lucy" for its lack of resemblance to the famously pretty actress. It's since been replaced with the new "Lovely Lucy" statue, a more faithful representation, but Scary Lucy is still at the park in case you want to see it. The park also features a small but picturesque lighthouse.
- Chautauqua Lake is a long, thin lake stretching 17 miles northwest from Jamestown to Mayville. Boating and fishing are common.
Do
Do Chautauqua Belle
Before the railroads and highways, and into the middle of the 20th century, Chautauqua Lake was filled with steamships carrying both passengers and cargo to the surrounding communities. The Chautauqua Belle, launched in 1976, is one of only five authentic steam sternwheelers left in North America. Although its primary home is at Mayville, from which it cruises Chautauqua Lake, the Chautauqua Belle also offers 2-hour river cruises from Jamestown up the Chadakoin River to the lake outlet; these occur mostly in late summer and early fall.
Do Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History
Is a national center for nature education named for the award-winning naturalist and author of a popular series of natural history field guides. Featured are nature exhibits as well as wildlife art and photography. Trails and a butterfly garden are on the 27 wooded acres. Call (716) 665-2473 for more information.
Buy
Eat
Eat Forte
Eclectic American fare. Sushi. Homemade unique desserts.
Eat Lisciandro's Restaurant
Lisciandro's is a cozy little diner serving hearty comfort food for breakfast and lunch.
Eat The Main Landing
This riverfront restaurant – go ahead, dock right outside and walk in – might be considered "homey" if it was farther inland. Instead, it has the feel of a shipboard dining room. The meals (seafood, steak, chicken, pasta, and sandwiches) are hearty and generously portioned. Service is friendly, especially so for the many regulars who stop in.
Drink
Drink Wine Cellar
The epitome of J-town culture. Not to be missed.
Drink The Cherry Lounge
Awesome wings, great atmosphere!
Sleep
Stay Hampton Inn
Stay Chautauqua Harbor Hotel
An upscale 135-room hotel right on the southern shore of Chautauqua Lake. The hotel has excellent views and plenty of outdoor amenities for enjoying the lakefront, such as a putting green, an outdoor pool, multiple fire pits, an outdoor lounge with food and drinks, and an octagonal terrace that juts out into the water. Inside is a full-service restaurant, indoor pool, and exercise room. A dedicated concierge can assist with planning and reservations.
Go next
- Allegany State Park, off Interstate 86, is the largest NY state park outside of the Adirondacks and Catskills
Nearby
Chautauqua
City / town · 7 listings · 14 mi away
Randolph
City / town · 10 listings · 14 mi away
Warren
City / town · 3 listings · 18 mi away
Allegany State Park
Park · 29 listings · 24 mi away
Fredonia
City / town · 1 listings · 24 mi away
Little Valley
City / town · 13 listings · 25 mi away
Cattaraugus
City / town · 9 listings · 25 mi away
Salamanca
City / town · 6 listings · 27 mi away
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