If you watched I love Lucy first run, re-runs and some of those episodes still make you laugh? You definitely must go and see. Great little museums-- there are two buildings next door to one another--not sure why they are separate, but be sure to see both. The first one told more of a story of Lucy and Desi's life separate and together and how Lucy got started. The costumes were great. The second one was more of a I love Lucy Show Museum--it had the set and some show details--very cool to see the sets. You can almost see the episodes in your mind as you walked through to view. It was a great visit. I felt completely safe during Covid. My partner thought the only thing missing was a mug saying: Lucy, I'm home.

If you love Lucy like my wife and I do, this place is a must visit. We visited during the pandemic and the museum has done an outstanding job in social distancing, sanitizer stations and timed reservations with limited attendance. Tickets must be booked online right now and they only allow a certain number of people in at a given time (every half hour). The museum meets the unique challenge of presenting both the personal life stories of Lucy and Desi and also representing the show itself. It also has 2 gift shops, but we’ll get to that shortly. You begin your tour at the museum itself, which tells Lucy and Rickys stories growing up, how they met, got into show business, fell in love, divorced, etc. There is an obvious focus on Jamestown as where Lucy grows up, and listening to her speak on the videos they show really give you a great sense of where she came from. While all of this was interesting, the Desilu studio next door really is the focus for I Love Lucy fans. In this building you’ll get the story of how the show came to be, the other cast members, and a ton of props and costumes from the show. Beyond that, the sets from the show are incredible to see in person. It was borderline freaky seeing these things in color for the first time, but it left us wanting more. Lucille Ball broke grounds so many times and this museum is a phenomenal tribute to a woman who did so much for comedy. Make this place a stop in upstate New York, you won’t regret it. The show wasn’t named the best television show of all time in 2012 for no reason.