Top 10 Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Chautauqua County, Chautauqua County

Historic bookstore founded in 1874 in tents.

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 Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown, Inc. got its start in 1920 as “The Players Club”; a regional community theater group. In 1929, a young woman named Lucille Ball was cast in a play called “Within the Law”; this was Lucy’s first acting experience outside of school. In 1936, George and Harriet Warren came to Jamestown with experience from the Cleveland Playhouse and were hired as permanent, paid directors. The Warrens spearheaded the evolution of “The Players Club” into a new organization called “The Little Theatre of Jamestown”. The Little Theatre presented a full season of productions with revenue from annual memberships. From 1936 to 1945, membership grew from 1,100 to 5,400 Season Tickets; making Little Theater the largest membership theatre in the United States at the time. After continued growth and hugely successful seasons a permanent location was sought to house the organization. Jamestown's longest running entertainment facility, known as Shea's Theater, located at 18 East Second Street had recently become available. It was decided to proceed with the purchase of the historic building and to create a smaller theatre inside the old one. The ornate, Italian renaissance 2,000 seat auditorium was covered and scaled down to a 400-seat auditorium with a large front lobby area. A minimalist design approach was taken for the creation of the new home of the organization. The new theatre held its grand opening on April 19, 1969. In 1990, Jamestown’s most famous person, Lucille Ball, passed away. A formal dedication was held on May 24, 1991 to rename the theatre in her honor, with her daughter Lucie Arnaz and family in attendance. In December 2015, the Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown will enter its 79th Season of celebrating the performing arts through live theatre, entertainment, education and community involvement. The organization remains New York State’s longest-running community theater.

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.

Relax, Refresh, Unwind…Experience Lake Erie Wine Country, located on the southern shore of beautiful Lake Erie in both Pennsylvania and New York. Explore 24 unique wineries, quaint villages and beaches nestled among rolling hills in the midst of 30,000 contiguous acres of luscious grape vineyards. Lake Erie Wine Country begins in the town of Harborcreek, PA and continues eastward for almost 50 miles to the town of Silver Creek, NY. Visit our wineries to peruse gift shops and sip, swirl and savor the true taste of our region. Most wineries are open year-round, seven days a week and they host exciting events all year long!

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.