Tetraarylethene (TAE) has been used as linkers in polynorbornene- and polycyclobutene-based double-stranded ladderphanes and as pendants in related single-stranded polymers. The adjacent TAE linkers in these polymers are separated by 4.5-5.5 angstrom. Upon irradiation at 315 nm in dichloromethane (DCM), TAE excimer emission is observed at 493 nm with quantum yield Phi = 0.005-0.015. When MeOH/DCM (3/1) is used as the medium, Phi(s) of hexyloxy-substituted TAE ladderphanes increase to 0.45-0.48 due to aggregation-enhanced excimer emission (AEEE). TAE-appended single-stranded polynorbornene has Phi = 0.21 under the same conditions. The neighboring TAE chromophores in these single-stranded polymers may not be eclipsed and therefore might be less favored for excimer formation. Entangling of hexyloxy groups, inter alia, may be responsible for AEEE. Replacement of a hexyloxy group by a methoxy group leads to a reduction in the quantum yield by 70% due to lack of entangling. The overall process that is responsible for AEEE involves excimer formation, aggregation of polymers, plus entangling of long-chain alkyl groups.