Luenell Explores RISE: NYC Museum-Ride Tour
Comedian shares immersive highlights of the history exhibit and virtual ride in Manhattan!
Sakshi holds a bachelor’s degree in Science and a master’s in Bioinformatics from Panjab University, India. Her passion for writing engaging articles has led her to pursue a career in content writing since 2020. Sakshi has written in various niches, including health and wellness, fintech, blockchain, and lifestyle.
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Image: Instagram
Comedian Luenell took to Instagram this week with highlights from her visit to RISE, New York’s new part-museum, part-ride attraction in Midtown Manhattan. Best known for her stand-up appearances on Def Comedy Jam and film roles in B*A*P*S and Life, Luenell, born Lucille Way Harris on November 12, 1959, shared a series of photos and video clips that quickly drew praise from her followers.
Museum Meets Ride
RISE opened in Times Square early last year, offering a 20,000-square-foot journey through the Big Apple’s history. Guests pass through interactive displays featuring 25 original artifacts—everything from subway tokens to neon signs—paired with audiovisual storytelling. Luenell’s snapshots show museum-style galleries filled with archival footage, animated maps and striking photography that trace New York’s transformation from colonial outpost to global metropolis.
Carson-style Tv Set
One standout moment for Luenell was a recreation of a classic late-night talk show set. “It’s giving Late Nite Talk Show Host if you ask me,” she quipped as she settled behind a Johnny Carson-inspired desk, complete with vintage microphone and cityscape backdrop. The installation includes period furniture and props, inviting guests to channel their inner host and record brief video segments against a starry studio skyline.
Final Simulator Thrill
At the end of the experience, visitors board a motion simulator ride that uses 4K projection and custom sound design to deliver a whirlwind virtual tour over Manhattan’s most iconic landmarks. Luenell shared a beaming video of herself strapped into the ride vehicle, gripping the safety bar as the simulated New York skyline rushed by beneath her. She described the finale as her favorite part: “You feel like you’re flying through the streets of the city.”
For fans who missed her recent on-stage appearances, this museum outing comes on the heels of a sold-out show at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. In an earlier Instagram post, Luenell recapped staying an extra day in New York after her May performance to celebrate Malcolm X’s birthday with a screening of Cooley High and a Q&A at the Magic Johnson Film Center. That outing included a chance to meet actor Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, who joined her for an audience discussion on vintage Black cinema.
Between her comedy gigs and cultural excursions, Luenell also squeezed in a feast at Delmonico’s Steakhouse with friends and team members. Photos from that dinner captured the group raising glasses of rosé and sampling classic New York fare before shifting focus to historical deep dives at RISE.
RISE is located at 101 West 42nd Street, just steps from Times Square. Tickets start at $42 for adults, with discounted rates for seniors, students and children. The experience runs about 75 minutes from entry to simulator ride conclusion. It was developed by the Rockefeller Group in partnership with designers from the Museum of the City of New York and features original content created by urban historians and multimedia artists.
Luenell’s enthusiasm for RISE underscores her lifelong curiosity and willingness to explore off-beat corners of the city. Whether she’s cracking jokes on stage, chatting with celebrities in a dressing room or stepping into an immersive history lab, her fans know to expect the unexpected.
Her Instagram caption summed it up: “Things I did in NYC…. I got a chance to go to a part museum/part ride that told about some of the history of The Big🍎. It’s called @risenyofficial … at the end you take a virtual ride in a simulator type thing and I love that. Check it out when you go to New York the next time.”
With excitement still swirling around her latest museum-ride adventure, Luenell has proven that for her, New York remains a stage as rich and varied as any comedy club.
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