Boston Comedy Clubs

Where you'll find Boston's top comics, improv, open mic

Love to laugh?  Boston comedy clubs feature top headliner comics - as well as those just starting out.  

You'll find a great mixture of national, international, and local talent.  And if you have a flair for making others laugh, find an open mic.  Who knows, you may be the next top attraction!

Here's where you'll find the best comedy shows and comedy clubs in Boston, as well as across the river in Cambridge.  Comedy show covers typically run much less than theater tickets, so a night of laughs is both fun and affordable.

Get ready to enjoy the improv, the stand up comics, comic ensembles, and more.

Guide to best Boston comedy clubs

Wilbur Theatre

Boston Comedy Connection, now performing at the Wilbur Theatre, is part of a small regional group of comedy clubs / nightclubs, and has been one of the most popular Boston comedy clubs with Bostonians and visitors ever since it opened in the early 1980s.  The club features stand up comics doing comedy shows in Boston seven nights a week.

Headliners tend to be "big name" comedians, nationally and internationally well-known, plus some rising local comics. 

Past big-name Boston Comedy Connection headliners include Chris Rock, Margaret Cho, Rosie O'Donnell, and Paul Nardizzi. 

Local comics are featured as well.  Comedy Connection is considered one of the best comedy clubs in Boston by those hoping to gain broader recognition.  Thursday nights belong to comedian/hypnotist Frank Santos, who's been mesmerizing fans for over 10 years with his x-rated insights.

Boston Comedy Connection used to be located in Faneuil Marketplace - club owner Bill Blumenreich leased the historic Wilbur Theatre in Boston's Downtown Theatre District and re-launched Comedy Connection as a city comedy theater in the Wilbur to host both comics and musical talent.  Comedy fans should check it out in more detail on our Boston theater page. 

Please note - the former Faneuil Hall Marketplace location closed at the end of December 2008 and as of January 2009, Comedy Connection is in its new location.  Now you can visit this popular Boston comedy club at the more spacious Wilbur Theater in Boston's Downtown Theatre District.

Address:  246 Tremont Street, Theatre District, Boston;
Nearest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Parking:  Boston parking garages near Theatre District and Chinatown
For more information: 617-931-2000
Other useful tips:  If you're a Comedy Connection fan who's used to the old site in Faneuil Marketplace, you now have new dining options to explore!  Check out the nearby Theatre District restaurants.

Dick's Beantown Comedy Vault @ Remington's

A Boston fixture on the comedy scene since the late '80s, Comedy Vault features beginning and established local comedians on weeknights, Friday, and Saturday nights.  Sundays are reserved for open mic.

Tickets, drinks, and food are relatively inexpensive (Friday and Saturday tickets cost a little more), and this popular city comedy club attracts some well-regarded, funny headliners. 

Address:  124 Boylston; Theatre District, Downtown Boston;
Nearest T station: Green Line/Boylston;
Parking:  Boston parking garages near Theatre District and Chinatown
For more information: 800-401-2221; www.dickdoherty.com
Other useful tips:  You can easily grab a bite to eat upstairs in Remingtons, or in any of the other nearby Theatre District restaurants

Improv Asylum

This popular North End comedy theater features improvisation and comic sketches delivered by a skilled ensemble group of 9 very funny and personable comedians.  They put on one of the most popular comedy shows in Boston.

In addition to serving drinks, the Improv Asylum offers a couple of dinner packages at nearby, very well-regarded restaurants.  A separate seasonally-available package that includes dinner and a Boston Duck Boat tour is also worth checking out.  You can find information about all of these options on the Improv website.

A nice feature of the Improv is that although drinks are served only to those 21 and older, you do not have to be 21 to attend a show.  The material is recommended for those who are 17 and up.  So if you're visiting Boston with your upper-teen children, the Improv is a terrific entertainment choice.

The Improv Asylum is one of the newest Boston comedy clubs, open just since 1998, but has quickly built a loyal following.

Address:  216 Hanover Street, North End, Boston;
Nearest T station: Orange Line/Haymarket;
For more information: 617-263-6887; www.improvasylum.com
Other useful tips:  Remember, the North End has fabulous restaurants - so even if you don't go with one of the Improv Asylum's dinner-theater packages, be sure to allow time for dinner in a North End restaurant.

Mottley's Comedy Club

Named after an 18th century English writer named John Mottley who compiled a joke book that became wildly popular, Mottley's Comedy Club in Faneuil Hall Marketplace is located downstairs from the Trinity Bar (just look for a celtic cross and lots of neon). 

Open only since September of 2008, Mottley's is the newest Boston comedy club and already one of the most popular.  It's relatively small space with only about 100 seats gives a wonderfully intimate feeling, sort of a throwback to a time before comedy clubs became big business and were more about the connection between audience and comedian. 

Mottley's is literally a comedian's comic club - it's owned by 2 comedians (Jon Lincoln and Tim McIntire) plus non-comedian Jeff Fairbanks, and they have great instincts about what works well in this space and in Boston.  The local and national stand-up talents who they've been booking have already created a lot of buzz.  Look for more good things to happen here.

Address:  61 Chatham Street; Faneuil Hall, Downtown Boston
Nearest T station: Blue and Green Lines/State
For more information: 617-615-2844; website
Other useful tips:  All shows are 21+.

Nick's Comedy Stop

Nick's Comedy Stop, a popular favorite since the early '70s, is the longest running of the Boston comedy clubs. It's part of a small local chain, with several other Comedy Stops in towns near Boston. 

Located near the Charles Street Theatre, its convenient Theatre District location makes it a popular destination with both locals and Boston tourists who enjoy seeing a variety of comics ranging from very professional to just beyond amateurs.

Headliners change weekly, backed up by a variety of other acts. 

Occasionally the space doubles as a dance floor, so chairs are easily moveable, enabling you to get a good view of the comics.

Address:  100 Warrenton Street; Theatre District, Downtown Boston;
Nearest T station: Green Line/Boylston;
Parking:  Boston parking garages near Theatre District and Chinatown
For more information: 617-482-0930; www.nickscomedystop.com
Other useful tips:  Free tickets are sometimes available at their website. Drinks are sold on site.

Guide to comedy clubs in other areas

ImprovBoston

ImprovBoston has been around since the 1980s and keeps getting better and better. 

The exuberant shows feature all forms of comedy, including satire, slapstick, you name it.  Some, such as the popular Halloween "Gorefest: Boatload of Gore" spectacle, return year after to year to appreciative fans. 

An ensemble cast of 30+ members puts on multiple shows featuring improvisation and comic sketches 5 nights a week in ImprovBoston's 2 performance areas.  Although some shows are intended for older audiences, as though noted on Improv's website, most are family-friendly.  Improv recommends that audience members be 13 and older for the 10pm shows.  Special family shows are designed for those with children 10 or younger.

ImprovBoston offers a beer and wine bar, along with soft drinks and snacks.  You can find dozens of great restaurants and bars in the neighborhood, so be sure to include time in your planning for dinner.

ImprovBoston also offers many classes.  If you're visiting the Boston area for as long as 4 weeks or more, check out their schedule on their website.

Address:  40 Prospect Street, Central Square, Cambridge
Nearest T station: Red Line/Central Square
For more information: 617-263-6887; www.improvboston.com
Other useful tips:  Tickets at this popular Boston-area comedy club tend to be quite affordable, starting as low as $7 for some shows.  Most of the shows are about an hour and fifteen minutes long. 

Improv Jones Boston

A spin-off of a Providence group that's been around since 1992, Improv Jones Boston has been delighting local improvisational comedy fans with its family-friendly shows since 2006. 

The talented troupe performs every Friday night at 8pm at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown.  Shows are fun (and fine) for all ages.

Address:  Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA (close to the Arsenal Mall)
MBTA:  #70 bus to Watertown; alternately, if you drive, free on-site parking is available
For more information:  617-923-0100;  website

Jimmy Tingle's Off-Broadway Theater

Sadly, Jimmy Tingle has closed his popular Somerville Theater in order to take a break from running his Boston-area comedy club and to perform in other venues for awhile. 

We're going to continue to list his theater here so that a) if you're a fan and haven't already heard the sad news, you'll know what happened, and b) in case he decides to re-open, we want to be among the first to announce it!

Meanwhile, he's still performing in other places, including some local venues.  You can check his schedule on his website.  He also posts occasional blog-type entries, so you can see those there as well.

Address:  255 Elm Street, Somerville, MA
Nearest T station: Red Line/Davis Square
For more information: www.jimmytingle.com