After 14 years in the Great Falls community, antique store Feather Your Nest will close its doors next month and the historic building has been sold to new owners.

Feather Your Nest in Great Falls is closing

With its quirky umbrella light fixtures, vintage clothing displays, and eclectic collection of merchandise, Feather Your Nest offered downtown shoppers a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.

Owner Kandy Zanto says she came up with the name ‘Feather the Nest’ while observing how birds make their nests unique.

“It could be some tinsel, a little strip from a cigarette wrapper or something woven into the nest,” Zanto explains. “Why? Not that there’s a shortage of twigs and grass, just because that’s my opinion, but I think it makes their nest more interesting for them.”

The store stocks all kinds of antiques, figurines, furniture, jewelry and more for visitors to pick up and make their own. The store also featured a bistro, offering afternoon tea parties and a lunch menu for several years. “We wanted people to feel at home. I think when we first started our sign said something like ‘Fun, Friendly and Affordable.’

Zanto stated that her husband and sons worked on the renovation of the building and moving the furniture, and that the work was a team effort, including the team of women working in the store. Zanto says: “The girls are kind of like travel agents; They always give advice to everyone. “It’s so much fun visiting with people from all over and sharing information about Montana and Great Falls with them.”

Zanto decided to retire and spend most of his time with his young grandchildren.

He sold the historic building to friends Shari and Mike Schmidt. Although plans for the building are vague, Zanto is confident there will be exciting plans for the space.

With the closure of her business, Zanto encourages community members to continue shopping from locally owned businesses in the age of online shopping.

He says: “Whether small businesses can thrive in this day and age is probably more important than ever. Every year for fourteen years, I have noticed a difference in shopping as more online shopping becomes possible. “Local shopping is not always possible, but the more we do it, the more local shopping will be,” he said.

Everything in the store will be 50% off until closing in mid-December, culminating in a two-day sale with all proceeds going to the Downtown Great Falls Rescue Mission.

“I’m hoping people will come and take home a little treasure and it’ll be a nice boost for the Rescue Mission and hopefully we won’t have to put anything in a box,” Zanto says.

Feather Your Nest is located at 311 Central Avenue. You can learn more about Feather Your Home on its Facebook page: click here.