Flagstaff Museum Club Seeks New Owner to Preserve 95-Year Legacy on Route 66
Marcus Whitfield
The historic Museum Club on Route 66 in Flagstaff is looking for a new owner to preserve its nearly 100-year legacy of live music, dancing and local memories.
Since 1931, the venue has been known to Flagstaff locals as the Zoo. Martin Zanzucchi has owned the club since 1978 and says it was a pillar of the community. He described the place as a little Nashville in Flagstaff where famous musicians have sung onstage and people have danced on the dance floor.
The building carries the stories of the community. Martin said his mother told him that she and his father met there in 1941. He said there is magic in the building with many people who have dances around the trees behind the venue.
Country music legends have played the Museum Club over the decades. Martin showed a contract from Willie Nelson from back in the 60s when he played there for 600 bucks.
A tenant was running the place since 2002 and last year they stepped away. The venue is currently closed and now the family is looking for a new owner.
Francesca Zanzucchi is Martins daughter and she grew up with the Museum Club as her part-time home. She is also the realtor for the property and is trying to find the right buyer.
Our dream is that somebody buys it and keeps the history alive, Francesca said. She said she looks at her son who is a year and a half old and she is like I hope one day I can bring you to the museum club and we can go country line dancing.
Times have changed since the clubs opening almost 100 years ago and true country dance halls like this are getting harder to find. Martin said they are not opposed to someone coming in and making it a wedding venue or even an actual museum.
They just want someone to preserve and respect its history, Martin said. He said they are hoping to find the right person that wants to put his heart and soul into making this building great again and moving it down the line another 50 or 100 years.
The property will be back on the market in a few weeks. Francesca said people who are interested can reach out to her on social media @landwithFran.