Helium Comedy Club

Helium opened in Center City Philadelphia in 2005 and quickly established itself as the city's premier stand-up room, giving a town with a famously tough, funny audience a club worthy of it. The room was purpose-built for comedy, and touring headliners consistently rank it among the best-run clubs on the road.

Philadelphia's stand-up scene — which produced comics from David Brenner to Kevin Hart — runs through Helium's stage, where national headliners share the week with local showcases and the club's annual Philly's Phunniest contest.

The Philadelphia flagship spawned a small, well-regarded family of Helium clubs in Portland, Buffalo, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, all run on the same model: serious booking, real comedy rooms, no filler.