Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum

08/25/2026

“Seventy-five years after 'I Love Lucy' premiered, its influence is still everywhere – in the way comedy is created and produced, and in generations of performers and creators who continue to be inspired by Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and the brilliant creative team behind the series. 'I Love Lucy' didn’t simply make television history – it helped shape what the medium would become. The Television Academy could not have chosen a more fitting first recipient of its Legacy Award, an extraordinary honor that recognizes what we celebrate every day here in Lucille Ball’s hometown.” – Journey Gunderson, Executive Director, National Comedy Center and Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum

If you're seeking ways to connect with working television industry professionals, both in front of and behind the camera, joining our organization offers you unparalleled access, benefits and opportunities.

08/12/2026

Today the Lucy Desi Museum celebrates Bob Carroll, Jr., one of the brilliant writers behind “I Love Lucy,” on his birthday. Seventy-five years ago, the “I Love Lucy” pilot episode was filmed - launching a comedy whose impact on television history can still be felt today. Alongside Madelyn Pugh and Jess Oppenheimer, Carroll shaped the characters, storylines, and unforgettable comedic situations that made the Ricardos and Mertzes household names. Carroll also wrote for “My Favorite Husband,” the radio series that preceded “I Love Lucy,” as well as Lucille Ball's subsequent series, “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour,” “The Lucy Show,” “Here’s Lucy,” and “Life with Lucy.” His prolific and pioneering collaboration with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz helped establish the blueprint for the television sitcom as we know it.

In 2025, the National Comedy Center and Bob Carroll Jr.'s daughter, Christina Carroll, announced that his creative papers would be permanently preserved as part of comedy's national archive in Lucille Ball's hometown of Jamestown, NY.

08/06/2026

Today, on Day 1 of the 2026 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, we celebrate the birth of Jamestown’s own Lucille Ball! At the Lucy Desi Museum and National Comedy Center, we are honored to preserve the legacy of this television pioneer and comedy legend. Celebrate the laughter year-round by visiting Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, New York.

07/26/2026

Today we celebrate Vivian Vance on her birthday. Best known as the beloved Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy,” Vance brought heart, humor, and impeccable timing to every scene. Today we honor her legacy on television, as well as her career on Broadway stages and the silver screen. Help us celebrate by commenting on your favorite Ethel Mertz scene or quote!

07/17/2026

Happy Birthday to Lucie Arnaz!

Today we're celebrating from Jamestown and sending our thanks for all she's meant to this community, for the care she's shown in preserving her family's legacy, and for the joy she's brought to so many through her music and artistry.

Lucie Arnaz Official

07/11/2026

On this day in 1933, Lucille Ball signed with MGM and began to prepare for a new life in California as a "Goldwyn Girl." It was the opportunity of a lifetime that put her on the path to becoming a Hollywood starlet and future television pioneer.

07/02/2026

Celebrate the Fourth of July at the Lucy Desi Museum, open 10 AM - 5 PM all weekend long! Discover the charm, laughter, and lasting legacy—plan your visit at LucyDesi.org.

06/29/2026

On this day in 1953, “I Love Lucy” episode “Never Do Business with Friends” aired. Tensions between the Ricardos and Mertzes grow after Lucy and Desi sell the Mertzes their old washing machine, which turns out to be defective.

06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day from the Lucy Desi Museum! Father figures come in many forms, and Lucille Ball had a deep bond with her Grandpa Hunt, who was her champion throughout her lifetime, from her childhood in Celoron, New York all the way through her move to Hollywood. In her autobiography, Lucille remembered that “Grandfather made us all kinds of things. He built us sleds and wagons and wheelbarrows, and stilts, pogo sticks, swings, teeter-totters, and treehouses. And just for me he made the most absolutely marvelous doll furniture, some of which I still treasure.” The wooden crib shown here is one of the pieces crafted for a young Lucy by her grandfather.

06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day from the Lucy Desi Museum! Although we remember him as a television pioneer, Desi Arnaz was also a devoted father to his two children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr.

Also shown here is Desi’s father, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz II. The mayor of Desi’s hometown of Santiago, Cuba, Desiderio II was exiled following the Cuban Revolution of 1933, and these events led to his son’s eventual entry into the Miami music scene and later his career in Hollywood. The Lucy Desi Museum's archives include a rare portrait of Desi II, which he inscribed with "dearest Lucille and Desi" from his home in Miami, Florida.