If you find yourself standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona you can’t miss this Route 66 roadside attraction. Take it easy and visit Standin’ on The Corner Park. It’s such a fine sight to see.
Standing on the Corner Park opened in Winslow, Arizona in 1999. The park commemorates the song “Take it Easy,” a hit song written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey that was made popular by the Eagles in 1972.
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The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on July 22, 1972. And it’s been a popular tune for rock music lovers, road trippers, and karaoke stars ever since.
The second verse of the classic song famously goes, “Well, I’m a-standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see. It’s a girl, my Lord in a flat-bed Ford, slowin’ down to take a look at me.”
And this Route 66 town has truly embraced that musical tie.
Once a thriving town on the Main Street of America, tourism dwindled in Winslow ever since the two-lane highway was replaced by the faster I-40. The town needed something that would start bringing tourists back. So they tapped in to the famous lyric to create this now famous attraction.
On September 11, 1999, “Standin’ on the Corner” Park was unveiled in Winslow. Yes, it is “THE” and not “A” like the actual song title. But the committee behind the park decided that the variation on words was necessary to make it known to the world that this was not just any old corner, it was THE corner.
Though, in reality, no one knows for sure if this was actually THE corner. Or if that corner even truly was in Winslow.
Glenn Frey wrote the famous lyric after getting stranded in Winslow for a night. Co-writer Jackson Browne later added the flatbed Ford line. And the song was born. But there has been some debate over whether the songwriter was actually in Winslow when coming up with the verse or in neighboring Flagstaff.
In either case, Winslow made for a timeless lyric that might not have had the same lasting appeal if they’d gone with Flagstaff.
So what can you see at Standin’ on the Corner Park?
The Route 66 roadside attraction features a two-story mural, a Ford flatbed truck, a statue of Eagles singer Glenn Frey, an interactive wings mural, a Route 66 roadside attraction sign, and a bronze statue of a man appropriately standing on the corner.
The backdrop to the attraction is a massive brick wall painted as a “trompe-l’œil” mural. The style is noted for the optical illusion it creates by depicting a highly realistic three-dimensional scene on a two-dimensional surface. In this case, artist John Pugh set the scene with a fake facade of windows. You’ll also find bold lettering that says “WINSLOW ARIZONA,” in case you forgot just what corner you’re standing on.
In October 2004, the adjacent J.C. Penney store caught fire and collapsed, destroying the mural’s building. It was demolished in 2006 but the brick mural wall was able to be salvaged.
The famous bronze statue was created by Ron Adamson. It depicts a man in cowboy boots holding the headstock of an acoustic guitar and leaning against a post marked with a white route shield sign marked with “Standin’ on the Corner.” Many say that the statue resembles Browne, but it is meant to represent “the troubadour” from the song and was modeled after the sculptor’s son.
The final touch of this Winslow attraction is a real bright red 1960 Ford flatbed truck representing the vehicle the woman was driving in the song.
In 2016 another statue was added to the park: one of Eagles singer Glenn Frey, who passed away earlier in the year. Frey is depicted as he would have looked in the 1970s, with shoulder length hair, a mustache, bell bottom jeans, and a t-shirt that reads, “Song Power.” The addition was spearheaded by two Phoenix morning radio DJs, Mark Devine and Paul “NeanderPaul” Marshall of the classic rock station KSLX along with the Standing on the Corner Foundation and the City of Winslow.
You can also take your photo with the interactive sculpted metal set of wings. They are attached to the brick wall and topped with the famous phrase, “TAKE IT EASY.”
Here are some easter eggs and other things to look out for:
- The girl and the red truck are painted as a reflection in the window.
- The truck’s Arizona license plate, IG7WOM references another lyric in the song.
- An eagle is painted perched on one of the windowsills.
- A giant “Arizona Route 66” logo in the middle the intersection.
- An official Route 66 Attraction Sign that explains more about the park’s history.
- The Standin’ on the Corner gift shop across the street where you can find t-shirts, magnets, and other road trip souvenirs.
If you’re driving Route 66, take it easy! Pull off the highway and visit Standin’ on the Corner Park in Winslow, Arizona. It’s not hard to find!
If you love this Arizona Route 66 roadside attraction be sure to check out these other fun road trip stops nearby: Geronimo Trading Post, Jack Rabbit Trading Post, the Tiny Church of the Mother Road, Twin Arrows Trading Post, and Meteor Crater.
Want to spend the night in Winslow? Book a stay at the historic La Posada Hotel and Gardens.
More photos of Standin’ on The Corner Park in Winslow, Arizona
Standin’ on the Corner Festival
Friday & Saturday, September 29th & 30th, 2023
Eagle Pavilion, 523 W. 2nd Street – Winslow, Arizona 86047
Every year the city of Winslow dives deep into its claim to fame with the Standin’ on the Corner Festival. The two-day event is filled with entertainment, auctions, merchandise vendors, food trucks, a beer garden, dancing, houeshoe and cornhole tournaments.
Held in Eagle Pavilion there is plenty of live music blasting all day long, so you’ll surely hear a rendition of “Take it Easy” or two.
Standin’ on the Corner Park FAQ
“Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona” is a phrase found in the 1972 Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey hit song “Take it Easy.” The song was made popular by the Eagles and is now commemorated in Winslow. A roadside attraction was erected on a corner in Winslow that has two bronze statues and a mural.
The original bronze statue is meant to represent “the troubadour,” the man depicted in the song. A second statue was added across the courtyard of of Eagles singer Glenn Frey, the man who wrote the song.
Find the famous intersection at the Corner of Kinsley and E 2nd St. Here you’ll find a monument to the famous lyric from the famous song “Take It Easy” by The Eagles. The lyrics call out a corner in Winslow, Arizona where the traveling singer spots a woman checking him out in a flatbed Ford.
There is! While no one knows for sure where the actual corner was that inspired the song (or even if it was in Winslow or existed at all!), the roadside attraction can be found at the Corner of Kinsley and E 2nd St.
Winslow, Arizona is definitely worth adding to your Route 66 road trip itinerary! While you’re in town stop at the shops, visit the world’s smallest church, have lunch at RelicRoad Brewing Company, grab a milkshake or crepe at Sip Shoppe, spend the night at La Posada Hotel, and have dinner at the Turquoise Room restaurant.
Due to its location on Route 66 and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Winslow, Arizona was once a bustling city that attracted travelers and celebrities alike. It’s also a popular stop as it is relatively close to The Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest National Park.
Winslow is home to the final Harvey House, which opened in 1930 and was built by Mary Colter. The Harvey House closed in 1857 and was used by the Santa Fe Railway until 1994. it now operas as the La Posada Hotel.
Nowadays Winslow is probably best known for its mention in the 1972 song “Take it Easy” from Eagles / Jackson Browne which has the line, “standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.”
Standing on the Corner Park
Address: Corner of Kinsley &, E 2nd St, Winslow, AZ 86047
Cost: Free to See
Hours: Always Visible
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