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Chautauqua Lake
A 17-mile lake with resort villages along its shores.
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Western New York
Chautauqua Lake
A long lake in far western New York: the Chautauqua Institution's Victorian summer season of lectures, music and art, lakeside villages like Bemus Point and Mayville, Panama Rocks, and Lucille Ball's Jamestown.
Photo: Hall of Philosophy, Chautauqua Institution, unknown; color-corrected by Howcheng., Public domain
The Chautauqua Institution was founded on the lake's western shore in 1874. Each summer its gated grounds of gingerbread cottages fill with lectures, concerts, opera and art. Visitors buy a gate pass and wander it like a small Victorian town.
Around the lake, Bemus Point and Mayville have docks and restaurants, a paddlewheeler cruises the water, and Panama Rocks is a maze of giant boulders. At the south end, Jamestown, Lucille Ball's hometown, has the National Comedy Center.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Cheap
Panama Rocks
A park of huge glacial boulders and crevices to explore.
Season Open roughly the first weekend of May–the last weekend of Oct (check before you go).
Cheap
Long Point State Park
A park on a point in the lake near Bemus Point, with a beach and trails.
Cheap
Audubon Community Nature Center
Trails and wetlands near Jamestown.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Cheap
Roger Tory Peterson Institute
Nature art and the work of the bird-guide author, in Jamestown.
Paid
Chautauqua Institution
A Victorian summer community of lectures, music and art.
Season Summer Assembly 2027: June 26–Aug. 29 (check before you go).
Paid
Lucy Desi Museum
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz exhibits in Lucy's hometown.
Paid
Chautauqua Belle
A steam-powered paddlewheeler cruising from Mayville.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Paid
Midway State Park
A historic lakeside amusement park.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Free
Bemus Point
A lakeside village with docks, shops and restaurants.
Free
Lake Erie wine country
Vineyards and wineries along the Lake Erie shore north of the lake.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Chautauqua Institution Tickets
- National Comedy Center Tickets
Part of our Western New York and Erie guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- A day lecture and an evening concert at the Institution need a night in between.
- Jamestown's comedy museums fill a whole day.
- Summer sunsets across the lake are a local ritual.
Nearby and worth the drive
Erie, PAabout 50 min · Guide ↗
Presque Isle beaches.
Niagara Falls, NYabout 1 h 30 · Guide ↗The American side of the falls.
Ready-made trips with Chautauqua Lake
Good to know
- Institution: Gate passes and the summer season: Chautauqua Institution.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Hall of Philosophy, Chautauqua Institution, unknown; color-corrected by Howcheng., Public domain
Photo: Chautauqua Lake from Lakewood, Banderas, Public domain
Photo: National Comedy Center, Jamestown, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
Photo: The Lucy Desi Museum in Jamestown, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
Photo: The carousel at Midway State Park, Pubdog, Public domain
Photo: Bemus Point ferry landing, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0