Northern New York state has lots of museums and other sites dedicated to particular movies, TV shows, celebrities and genres—and several of them throw annual festivals.
Whether you want to sit in a replica of Captain Kirk’s chair or delve into the history the Wizard of Oz, here’s your guide to a movie or TV-themed road trip to upstate New York.
Note: I use “upstate” and “northern” as generic terms for anything north of New York City, which I concede is a HUGE area. More specifically, I’ve tried to focus on places within a reasonable drive from Ottawa for a long weekend road trip. The many movie and TV museums in New York City would require a whole post of their own…which I’ll write, one of these days.
All Things Oz Museum, Chittenango, New York
The All Things Oz Museum, located in a converted storefront in downtown Chittenango, is packed with memorabilia related to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum (who was born in this town east of Syrcuse). Not surprisingly, a major focus of the collection is the beloved 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, with everything from reproductions of film costumes to displays exploring the strange connections between Oz and the FBI. The museum organizes the Oz-Stravaganza festival annually in early June. (Distance from Ottawa: 325km)
Star Trek Original Series Set Tour, Ticonderoga, New York
Self-proclaimed Star Trek super fan James Cawley spent 14 years meticulously recreating the set of the original 1960s Star Trek series. The result is the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, on the southern tip of Lake Champlain. Now you, too, can sit in the captain’s chair on the bridge and yell at Mr. Sulu to fire the phasers. William Shatner is dropping by for a three-day visit in July 2023. (Distance from Ottawa: 330km)
It’s a Wonderful Life Museum, Seneca Falls, New York
One strange bit of trivia you might not know about me is that I’m a huge Jimmy Stewart fan. So of course I’ve been to the It’s a Wonderful Life Museum in Seneca Falls, New York, a Finger Lakes town that many people believe was the model for the movie’s idyllic community of Bedford Falls. (Here’s my post about that theory.) The museum’s It’s a Wonderful Life Festival takes place each year in December. (Distance from Ottawa: 375km)
Lucy Desi Museum, Jamestown, New York
You’ll find the Lucy Desi Museum—more officially, the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum—in Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, New York. This is another place where you can pose for photos on a recreated TV set. In this case, it’s the New York apartment of showbiz wannabe Lucy Ricardo and her bandleader husband, Ricky, from the 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy. The museum features memorabilia from throughout the careers of Ball and Arnaz, and the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival brings nationally known comedians to Jamestown every August. This one is a bit of a hike from Ottawa, as it is southwest of Buffalo. (Distance from Ottawa: 650km)
National Comedy Center, Jamestown, New York
A few blocks away from the Lucy Desi Museum, the affiliated National Comedy Center in Jamestown showcases the history of American comedy through dozens of displays and interactive exhibits. They include Johnny Carson: The Immersive Experience, a multimedia exhibit focusing on Carson’s three decades as host of The Tonight Show. You can buy a combined admission that includes both the Lucy Desi Museum and the National Comedy Center. (Distance from Ottawa: 650km)
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, northern New York state and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your Weekend Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.