Things to do in Chautauqua County, Chautauqua County: The Best Specialty Museums

Lana's The Little House Storybook English Cottage, complete with English Gardens. Open daily all year. Local and international guests visit for Tours, Gardens, Teas, Lodging, Tea Shop. A personalized "experience" -- not commercialized! Reservations required. Where tea junkies roam near Buffalo in Chautauqua since 2003. We focus on the art of great tea and proper preparation of great tea. Beginning July 22, 2018, we are available for lodging. Visit Lana's The Little House website for further details of this handcrafted treasure on 21 enchanting acres.

The National Comedy Center is the United States' official cultural institution and museum dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations. Recently named the “Best New Museum” in the country by USA Today, and one of the "World's Greatest Places" by TIME magazine, the Comedy Center offers a visitor experience filled with laughter – featuring state-of-the-art technology, interactivity and personalization to create a one-of-a-kind, immersive museum environment perfect for the entire family. Based on the vision of Jamestown, NY native Lucille Ball for her hometown of Jamestown, NY to become a destination for comedy, the National Comedy Center showcases comedy's great minds and unique voices in ways that engage, inspire, educate and entertain. The Center’s award-winning LaughSafe program will keep everyone laughing safely, touch-free and worry-free throughout their socially-distanced experience in its expansive 37,000-square-foot museum.

Lucille Ball's hometown of Jamestown, NY honors the legacy of "The First Couple of Comedy" with the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum. The museum attraction is open seven days a week, and features replica sets, Lucille Ball's Emmy awards, costumes, rare memorabilia, and much more.

The museum opened its doors in 1951 in Chautauqua County's first brick mansion. The house was built in 1818 by pioneer James McClurg, the wealthy son of a Pittsburgh industrialist. Its grand salons and formal rooms stood in sharp contrast to the rugged homes of neighboring frontier settlers. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Today the 24-room Federal-style mansion is the home of the Chautauqua County Historical Society. The museum features period displays on three floors. Displays include some of the earliest artifacts and archival materials relating to the settlement and development of the county. The society's collections feature fine art, antique furnishings, textiles, mastodon bones, a First Nations exhibit and much, much more. Guided tours and group rates are available.

Southern Chautauqua County's history lives at the Fenton History Center. Visit the house museum in the 1863 Italianate Villa home of Reuben E. Fenton, 22nd New York State Governor and our Research Center in the historical Hall House that was built in 1846.