“Will I get my money back if I do not laugh?” I said with a straight face.
“Since you didn’t pay for anything, no,” was the response I received from the cashier as she put on our bracelets, which we needed to enjoy the National Comedy Center.
I have an extensive list of places to visit when I am planning a trip. I knew of this location years ago but always hemmed and hawed. Generally speaking, I wouldn’t say I like stand-up comedy; I rarely find it funny, and often, I scratch my head wondering why anyone is laughing. I avoided going here for some time, even though we had been in the area at least six times for the past two years.
Then we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. This destination was part of our Let’s Play Hooky, Cleveland-style road trip. I was reluctant to visit the Hall of Fame because I am not much into rock music. I like pop, classical, instrumental, soundtrack, and more. There are only a couple of people in the rock genre that I would like. But it was free to enter. I could not pass up visiting this iconic Cleveland attraction when I had a reciprocal membership that allowed me to see it without paying a cent.
I loved it.
I discovered that our reciprocal membership also allowed us to visit the National Comedy Center for free as well. I could not miss this opportunity to visit a place. Who knows, maybe I would love it too!
And I did!
Many of the museums we visit have something on display. Occasionally, we will read about it. If it is particularly interesting, we might take a picture and move on to the next. It is possible to walk through the National Comedy Center in five minutes. Here at Comedy, it is all about interaction, and it is this interaction that makes this place so enjoyable.
At the admission desk, we were given bracelets to track what we liked. We could sign in with our bracelet as we travelled from display to display, booth to booth, and table to table. There would be a video clip about what they thought we would like, and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Each section featured a different type of comedy, a different comedian style, and different decades.
The number of comedians and comedic acts must be in the tens of thousands, if not vastly more. This museum did seem to narrow down to a small segment of laughter. If you are into Carson, Seinfeld, Carlin, Dangerfield, and similar people, this place is for you. This is not to say there was a bias for them, but rather, how does one choose who to feature when so many out in the entertainment world have comedic talent?
The best value is to take the time to sit down and enjoy what is shown. If you like something, click the little heart in the corner, and your experience will improve when you go to the next exhibit. We could have spent all day here and maybe even return to visit for a few more laughs.
- A few blocks away is the Lucy Museum, a great tribute to a comedic couple. Our reciprocal membership also makes it free.
- There is a small parking lot a block away. Limited street parking if this lot is full.
- Check out All The Places We Have Been To Map for the location of the National Comedy Center and other places we have seen since we discovered the joy of travelling.
- Take your time here; the laughter comes from sitting and staying a while.
