JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — USA Today announced The National Comedy Center in Jamestown won "Best New Museum" for it ' 2020 10Best Readers' Travel Awards list.
The winner is picked by USA Today readers.
For this category, museums had to have opened in the past two years and included everything from art galleries to children's museums in cities across the United States and Canada. The National Comedy Center opened in 2018 and is devoted to "presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations."
“We have reimagined the museum experience with immersive exhibit design and unprecedented personalization. This distinction is a testament to the significance of comedy, and talented comedic artists, to our culture and our daily lives," said Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center Executive Director.
Other winners in the category included the Carolina Music Museum in Greensville, S.C., the National Nordic Museum in Seattle, and the Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting, Ind. Twenty finalists were nominated by a panel of travel experts and editors, and then the finalists were decided by a month-long voting period.
“The National Comedy Center is one of my favorite places in the world, and I am thrilled that everyone will now know what I already knew -- it is absolutely the best new museum in the country. It’s an extraordinary showplace for all things comedic – and interactive from the moment you walk in. I promise you will smile from beginning to end,” said Lewis Black, comedian, actor, author and National Comedy Center Advisory Board member.
USA Today's website highlighted the center's 50+ interactive exhibits, as well as its' considerable collection from comedians throughout history.
The winners of USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice awards can be found here, and for more information on the National Comedy Center, visit comedycenter.org.