The owners of the Fanning 66 Outpost — most famous for the Route 66 Red Rocker giant rocking chair — announced Tuesday they would close the business effective Thursday because of “economic conditions.”
Danny and Carolyn Sanazaro posted this message on the business’ Facebook page:
Farewell from Fanning 66 Outpost, General Store, Archery and feed. Due to economic conditions, effective Thursday August 11th we are officially closed for business. It was a pleasure to serve the Crawford county community for 9 years. Special thanks to all our customers, suppliers , and employees. God bless.
The website for the business Tuesday night placed a green screen over the home page with the words “Now Closed.”
Text messages to the business Tuesday night asking about the future of the giant rocker went unanswered.
Fanning Route 66 Outpost became a feed store, hunting-supplies store and all-purpose souvenir shop when it opened in 2007. Danny Sanazaro built the World’s Largest Rocker a year later to draw curious travelers.
It stood 42 feet tall, more than 20 feet wide and weighed 27,000 pounds. The Guinness Book of World Records certified it as the world’s largest rocking chair shortly after its completion. The chair could actually rock, but nearly all the time it was welded down for safety reasons.
The World’s Largest Rocker quickly appeared on countless television shows and all over the Internet. It became the finish line for the annual Race to the Rocker foot race from nearby Cuba, Missouri.
The rocker eventually lost its “world’s largest” bragging rights when a bigger one was built in Casey, Illinois. Sanazaro repainted the chair red in 2015 and rechristened it the Route 66 Red Rocker. Rumor was the new color scheme and name tried to draw former Van Halen singer Sammy “The Red Rocker” Hagar — a favorite act in the nearby St. Louis region — to Fanning Route 66 Outpost.
UPDATE: The KY3 station in Springfield, Missouri, posted a good story about the imminent closing. It also had this item:
The Rocker will stay put for visitors to take picture and the store is auctioning off its Route 66 Souvenirs. For more information on when the auction will be held visit the Fanning 66 Outpost Facebook Page […]
UPDATE2: Dan Sanazaro said in an email:
The rocker will stay right where she sits. Tourist can still stop and get pictures.
Such a pity to hear the news of the Fanning 66 Outpost closing. I was lucky enough to travel 66 in October last year and visit the outpost. I hope it comes back to life again soon. Cheers from Australia! Danny.
It is always sad to see any long standing Mom & Pop type business close up
People no longer take the time to stop and admire and realize their lack of buying an item now and then can mean the difference in someone staying open a few more yeras or not
Though it is not on Route 66, we had an old restaraunt shut down in our nearby town
It started out in the lte 40’s as a 4 or 5 booth and maybe 6 stools at the counter cafe
Then emerged into a big enough place to seat 75 or so at a time
Thankfully I got some photos a few days agao as now it is nothing but an empty lot covered over with asphalt
Maybe someone will come along and put some live back into the Outpost and once again see the doors open
When this happens the whole road loses not just one location. Dan and his staff did an outstanding job and will be sadly missed. In fact on my tours this has always been one of the better stops. Great ‘photo op’, clean restrooms, great selection of gifts and cold drinks. I have two tours, one in September and one in October, that I will now have to change that days itinerary.
Very sorry to hear this. Sad news for travelers, and certainly sad news for the owner(s) who put a lot of effort and love into the business.
Triste noticia. En nuestros viajes desde España hicimos dos paradas en 2012 y 2014, recomendando siempre el sitio. Con una de las mejores tiendas de recuerdos 🙁
This store, which I had the pleasure of stopping in a few times when on the Route, sits in the area where 66 begins to be a big part of life. This continues on east most of the way until you’re in the Los Angeles area. Fanning Outpost was a real store, a place where locals could shop for items they used and us tourists could drop in and check out Route 66 nick knacks.
The new owners (as I write this today) plan to make some changes but will keep it basically the same as before. This should help with its local customers. The giant rocker, however, will always be a magnet for tourists. As it should be.
Good luck to the owners. who in the true tradition of the Route, are going to give it another try.