The Wannamaker organ is one of the biggest instruments in the world and recently I had the opportunity to take a tour with Fred Anstman detailing exactly what makes it so unique. The organ was originally built for the Kansas City Hall and was installed at the 1904 World’s Fair in Saint Louis. Designed by George Ashdown Audsley, the instrument had a five manual console, 141 speaking stops, and 10,059 stops making it the largest in the world at the time. After the World’s Fair, the organ was placed into storage which was where John Wanamaker found and purchased it for his department store. The organ was shipped to Philadelphia in 13 freight cars and took two years to assemble. The first time it was played in its new location, June 22, 1911, was the day King George V was crowned.

After its debut, the organ was found to be too small for the space which prompted Wanamaker to open an organ factory on the 12th floor of the building. The aim of this factory was to expand the organ to be able to fill the 8-floor atrium. Between 1911 and 1917, 8,000 pipes were added and by 1930, the organ had a total of 28,750 pipes. The console was rebuilt three times and the current one, completed in 1928, has six manuals. The organ is the largest in the world when measured by ranks (464) and consists of a Choir, Great, Swell, Solo, Ethereal, and Stentor manuals along with String, Orchestral, Echo, and Vox Humana floating divisions. These floating divisions must be coupled onto various manuals. However, the Stentor manual was never fully completed making it an ideal candidate to house these floating divisions. One of the most impressive aspects of this organ is its string division holding 118 ranks and 6,340 pipes in one of the largest enclosures in the world. The organ produces a sound that many would compare to a full orchestra, and it is the enormity and quality of the instrument that makes it stand out among many of the largest organs in the world.

The modern role of the organ is one that began when Macy’s purchased the building and organ in 2006. They maintained the instrument and continued using the workshop established by Wannamaker until the Macy’s in center city (where the organ resides) closed in March of 2025. Prior to this closure, the organ had been played twice a day, six days a week during work hours for the building. However, after months of disuse, the organ was reopened for a series of concerts in the fall of this year in conjunction with Opera Philadelphia. Peter Richard Conte, who has been the organist at the Wannamaker for 35 years, performed two concerts with the Opera later putting on several performances. The organ will also continue to play during the winter while the traditional Christmas Village is being run in the building. While the fate of this grand organ remains uncertain, it is truly a historical masterpiece, and with an estimated replacement value of $80 million, it would be impossible to replace. The organ will continue to run during the holiday season, and the only thing we truly know is that the organ will not be moved from the building. The organ world hopes that this majestic instrument continues to be allowed to provide music for the people of Philadelphia and provide an example of the importance of music to culture and tradition.