INSIDE THE DECEMBER 2025 ISSUE: New Art to Enhance the Downtown Experience p. 3 Chef Lisa Dahl Launches Soup Hope p. 8 Snowstorms Open Arizona Snowbowl Early p. 9
The Museum Club’s Next Chapter is Yet Unsung Iconic Route 66 attraction seeks new ‘Zookeeper’
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By Peter Corbett, FBN
he Museum Club closed its doors indefinitely on Halloween, leaving the 90-year-old Route 66 roadhouse dark and silent after a long history of entertaining Flagstaff with country music, dancing and drinking.
Is this the year the music died? The establishment’s latest operator bowed out of the business after four and a half years, but not before scheduling an auction to sell all the furnishings and memorabilia within the log-cabin walls of the “Zoo Club,” as it came to be called. The Nov. 8 auction was canceled.
Still, the threat that The Museum Club could lose its vintage decor had sparked a social media backlash against the bar operators. What would The Museum Club be without its Western art, beer signs, musician publicity photos and abundant taxidermy — including a stuffed mountain lion, elk, deer and bison mounted in the rafters? The Museum Club operators
involved a group of investors, incorporated in 2021, as Zookeeper LLC, managed by Mike Thompson. They had one year remaining on their lease with an option for six more years, said Martin Zanzucchi, who owns The Museum Club with his wife, Stacie. Zookeeper needed to sell off The Museum Club furnishings to “cut its Continued on page 39
Finding Mediterranean Coastal Charm on a Hilltop p. 10 Lumberjack Marching Band Plays in Macy’s Parade p. 19 Nutritious Cacao is Celebrated at Living Chocolate p. 28
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Known for her Work Ethic and Leadership Skills, Joanne Keene Steps into the City Manager Role A distance runner, Keene brings the same grit and focus to her position overseeing Flagstaff’s operations, projects, growth
With a wealth of hard-earned experience in government and legislative affairs, Flagstaff City Manager Joanne Keene brings her community-first leadership to Flagstaff City Hall. Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography
December 2025 | Issue 12 Volume 18
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By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN
s an off-road runner on the rugged paths and switchbacks of Flagstaff, trailblazer Joanne Keene plans to be just as tough in her newly appointed role as Flagstaff city manager. First on her agenda is to keep the City of Flagstaff’s provisions going strong and to continue to be a responsible organization delivering quality service as well as listening to the needs of the citizens. “I think this is the fundamentals of local government, and the city has been doing a great job providing services that are incredibly important to our residents: trash pickup, parks,
From Flagstaff to New York City, read more about how our Lumberjacks are capturing the moment on PAGE 19.
police, fire, etc. From my perspective, it is to be community focused. I also want to be sure to continue to ensure Flagstaff has opportunities from the state and federal levels for funding and policy changes that are needed.” Keene is not the first woman Flagstaff city manager; however, she is the first to be appointed following a nationwide recruitment effort. Barbara Goodrich served as interim city manager in 2018-’19. Coming to the United States when she was 8 years old, Keene was born in Preston, England. Her family landed in New Orleans when her father accepted a position as a design engineer working on the space shuttle for Continued on page 37