Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Guides
    • Flight Deals
    • Travel Deals
    • Ways to Save
    • Hotels + Resorts
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Disney Vacations
    • Festivals + Events
    • Airlines + Airports
    • Buses + Trains
    • Ground Transportation
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Culture + Design
  3. America's Best Comedy Clubs

America's Best Comedy Clubs

By Lindsay Taub
February 12, 2015
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Crystal Allen Photography
If laughter is indeed the best medicine (thanks, endorphins), there’s nothing quite like the live, raw energy of a comedy club to get your dose—or check America’s cultural pulse.

Radio and television may have brought mainstream comedy to the masses, with I Love Lucy and Milton Berle paving the way for Carol Burnett and Saturday Night Live. Yet it’s the unpredictability and adrenaline-fueled energy of in-person performance that continues to spur it forward. Why else would the likes of Tina Fey and Jay Leno still perform regularly to sharpen their skills and test their material?

It’s in comedy clubs, with nothing but a microphone and brick wall, that careers soar on applause or die by heckles, and sticky subjects get addressed in a humorous way.

Trailblazing performances at Chicago’s The Second City gave comics like Richard Pryor, George Carlin, and Sam Kinison a stage to tackle race, religion, and politics with an irreverent spin that wasn’t yet allowed on the airwaves.

Times have changed, but stand-up comedy’s next wave continues its gig-by-gig push of the envelope with often unfiltered, hilarious results you’d be hard-pressed to find on an HBO special.

From a surprising ab workout in Nashville to the mainstays of New York and Los Angeles, the following comedy clubs are surefire places to get your giggle on.
Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Second City, Chicago

Credit: The Second City, Inc.

Comedy and Chicago go hand in hand thanks to The Second City. From its December 1959 opening in Old Town, it’s been the benchmark for improv as we know it—and a rite of passage for aspiring comics. John Belushi and Gilda Radner cut their teeth here, and veteran alumni like Tina Fey still grace the stage today. Although the brand has expanded with touring ensembles and training centers in Toronto and Hollywood, experiencing the cutting edge of sketch comedy on its original cabaret stage can’t be beat.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Improv, Los Angeles

Credit: Mike Carano

At Hollywood’s most legendary comedy club, surprise appearances from names like Dane Cook and Steve Byrne are almost expected. There’s a mixture of improvisation, both experimental and produced, as well as stand-up acts most nights of the week. The iconic brick-backed main room is for the headliners—an up-and-coming Jay Leno once helped paint the ceiling. Next door is the Lab, and quite often, this is the place to be. With nothing to lose but pride, comics here leave it all on the stage, no holds barred. hollywood.improv.com

2 of 15

3 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Zanies, Nashville

Credit: Courtesy of Zanies

For three decades Zanies has been providing Nashville with an alternative to the honky-tonk. Located in the trendily gritty neighborhood of 12 South, the corner building has an old-school ’80s vibe and fills the nearly 300 seats for nightly acts and two-drink minimums. Nashville themes often get worked into the acts, endearing the club to many locals. Marc Maron (of the popular WTF podcast), for one, has riffed on the city’s famous hot chicken. nashville.zanies.com

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Upright Citizens Brigade, New York City

Credit: Francine Daveta

Having brought “Chicago-style” long-form sketch comedy to New York in 1996, the UCB is now an institution, delivering some of the country’s most innovative writing nightly. It also happens to be one of the city’s most affordable entertainment options. Tickets to shows at its 152-seat theater in Chelsea top out at $15. Often they’re free, as for Asssscat 3000, a 15-year tradition, made famous by Amy Poehler, that brings in celebrity guests and improv veterans for spur-of-the-moment, one-night-only acts. ucbtheatre.com

4 of 15

5 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Stand Up Live, Phoenix

Credit: Courtesy of Stand Up Live

This downtown Phoenix club consistently draws top talent from across the country, notably from popular TV comedies like 30 Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Stand Up Live has a theater-style stage combined with an intimate comedy-club atmosphere. The energy of the audience is always up, making the experience that much more vibrant. standuplive.com

5 of 15

6 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

iO Theatre, Chicago

Credit: iO Theater

The ImprovOlympic (iO) launched as a venue for long-form improvisational comedy in 1981. It’s best known for having created the “Harold,” a long-form improvisational sketch in which two teams compete for laughs—and they still do at comedy clubs nationwide. Today there are about 25 Harold teams at the iO, some of which have been performing together for years. There is a smaller cabaret-style theater downstairs and a more traditional, larger space in the Del Close Theater upstairs. ioimprov.com

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Punchline, Atlanta

Credit: Rex Brown

Atlanta’s longest-standing comedy club has hosted a number of Comedy Central’s Top 100. It’s a reliable place to see fresh talent on the rise, alongside veteran comics, most likely on the same night. Legends who have graced the stage include Tim Allen, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Chris Tucker, and Jerry Seinfeld. The truly daring can attempt to get a laugh from audiences during Punchline’s popular open-mic nights. punchline.com

7 of 15

8 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Carolines on Broadway, New York

Credit: Courtesy of Carolines on Broadway

First opened in Chelsea in 1981, followed by a stint in New York’s historic South Street Seaport, Carolines’s growing popularity prompted yet another move—to its current 300-seat Times Square theater—in 1991. It hosts live comedy seven nights a week, 365 days a year. In addition to booking top comedians like Kathy Griffin, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dave Chappelle, the club is also a venue for high-profile fund-raising events and benefits. carolines.com

8 of 15

9 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Improv Asylum, Boston

Credit: Ken Kotch

Located in the basement of a CVS Pharmacy in the North End, the Improv Asylum is classic Boston—sarcastic, off-the-cuff, raw comedy. Locals Paul D’Amato, Chet Harding, and Norm Laviolette, who got their start as an improv troupe at the Hard Rock Café, took a chance on the idea that a Second City–style venue had a place in Beantown. They opened the Asylum in 1998, and it’s proven to be a hit, offering both live improv and sketch comedy with a consistently talented cast. improvasylum.com

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Comedy Union, Los Angeles

Credit: Production Locations

Owner Enss Mitchell is the passionate driving force behind this L.A. club, one of the few venues that caters to African American stand-up comics. Bill Bellamy, D. L. Hughley, Sherri Shepherd, Chris Rock, and Damon Wayans have all taken the stage, as well as others made famous by HBO’s Def Comedy Jam. The 180-seat venue allows for an intimate show with guaranteed laughs. thecomedyunion.com

10 of 15

11 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Comedy & Magic Club, Hermosa Beach, CA

Credit: Courtesy of The Comedy & Magic Club

In-the-know L.A. residents head south to Hermosa Beach for shows at this club, where Jay Leno has tested material for years on Sunday nights—note card by note card—to gauge audience response. The best material ends up in future Tonight Show monologues. Ray Romano, Jerry Seinfeld, and other big hitters have performed here as well, along with rising talents on showcase nights that feature 10 acts for $10. comedyandmagicclub.com

11 of 15

12 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Comedy Attic, Bloomington, IN

Credit: TALL + small Photography

Without any professional background in comedy, Dayna and Jared Thompson surprised the naysayers when they spawned Bloomington, Indiana's first and only comedy club in 2008. They were supported by the community and have since brought in household names like Mad About You’s Paul Reiser. Open-mic nights are a weekly ritual. comedyattic.com

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Esther’s Follies, Austin, TX

Credit: Philip Rogers

For a traditional experience, look to Austin’s Cap City Comedy, which brings in headliners like Kevin Nealon regularly. True keep-Austin-weird locals, however, will point you to Esther’s Follies. It’s become a local legend for vaudeville-style comedy, with clever writing and irreverent, witty takes on current events. esthersfollies.com

13 of 15

14 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Gotham Comedy Club, New York

Credit: Dan Dion

Many stand-up comedy clubs focus on the act rather than ambience, but Gotham owner Chris Mazzilli, a Fashion Institute of Technology grad, wanted to create an upscale space. The result is a 10,000-square-foot theater that draws inspiration from the Art Deco style of the 1920s, with warm red hues on the inside and, notably, Gotham Yellow–painted hallways. (You may recognize the club as the venue where Last Comic Standing auditions take place, or from Jerry Seinfeld’s 2002 film Comedian.) Talent is consistently some of the best in the country, such as Lewis Black, Dave Chappelle, Colin Quinn, and Chris Rock. gothamcomedyclub.com

14 of 15

15 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Comedy Works, Denver

Credit: Crystal Allen Photography

Since 1981, this intimate downtown club in historic Larimer Square (est. 1981) has a roster that reads like a who’s who of comedy: Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Ellen DeGeneres, Dennis Miller, Jamie Foxx, Lewis Black, and Joan Rivers, to name-drop a few. The venue has a reputation for spotting new talent, having launched the careers of many fixtures on Comedy Central, the late-night talk-show circuit, and the Last Comic Standing stage. comedyworks.com

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Lindsay Taub

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 15 The Second City, Chicago
2 of 15 The Improv, Los Angeles
3 of 15 Zanies, Nashville
4 of 15 Upright Citizens Brigade, New York City
5 of 15 Stand Up Live, Phoenix
6 of 15 iO Theatre, Chicago
7 of 15 Punchline, Atlanta
8 of 15 Carolines on Broadway, New York
9 of 15 Improv Asylum, Boston
10 of 15 Comedy Union, Los Angeles
11 of 15 The Comedy & Magic Club, Hermosa Beach, CA
12 of 15 Comedy Attic, Bloomington, IN
13 of 15 Esther’s Follies, Austin, TX
14 of 15 Gotham Comedy Club, New York
15 of 15 Comedy Works, Denver

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

America's Best Comedy Clubs
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.