The old Wanamaker department store building, currently occupied by Macy’s, announced that its final day of operation would be on Saturday, March 22, 2025. The store offered blow-out sales on the few items still available for purchase, and provided a series of short organ concerts on the world famous Wanamaker organ. The event attracted a large crowd, all anxious to say farewell to one of Philadelphia’s iconic institutions. The crowd around the Wanamaker Eagle was standing room only, with long lines of visitors looking to get a final photo of the second-most famous Eagle in Philadelphia (Saquon Barkley eclipsed the Wanamaker bird this year).
The Wanamaker department store business was founded by John Wanamaker and his brother-in-law in1861, initially aa a men’s clothing store called Oak Hall. In 1876 Wanamaker purchased the abandoned Pennsylvania Railroad station that is the present site of the Wanamaker department store, and expanded his merchandise line to include women’s clothing and other dry goods.
This innovative entrepreneur introduced many new merchandising features to the shopping public. His store was the first retail establishment to use price tags on its merchandise. He was among the first to guarantee his merchandise in print, and was also among the first to offer cash refunds for returned purchases. In 1878 he was the first retailer to illuminate his store with electrical lighting, and one year later he was the first to equip his store with a telephone. He also introduced the use of pneumatic tubes to move cash and documents from floor to floor.
The “Wanamaker Organ” is the largest fully operational pipe organ in the world, with some 28,750 pipes. It is famed for the delicate, orchestra-like beauty of its tone as well as its incredible power. The organ was constructed by a crew of organ builders hired by Wanamaker, after he decided that the original organ placed in the store (purchased from the St. Louis World’s Fair along with the eponymous bronze Eagle) was not sufficiently powerful to fill the Grand Court with sound.
In 1956, Wanamaker’s premiered a Christmas Light Show, a multi-story musical and blinking light display, viewable from several levels of the building. Its popularity with Philadelphia parents and children, as well as tourists, ensured a continuous run, even after the building was sold to different business interests over the years. Through 1994 the Christmas show was narrated by radio and television personality- and NFL Films announcer – John Facenda, a familiar voice to all Philadelphians. In 2006, under Macy’s ownership, Julie Andrews became the narrator for the annual Christmas light show.
In 2023 the Wanamaker building was placed in receivership, due to substantial loss of commercial tenants. The following year the owners mulled the possibility of converting the building to residential space. In January of 2025 Macy’s announced that it would close the store in March of 2025, and the closing occurred on March 22, as documented by these photos.
The fate of the Wanamaker Organ, the Wanamaker Eagle, and the Wanamaker Christmas Light Show, is unclear at this writing. All of Philadelphia is anxiously awaiting news of their ultimate fate. That anxiety will likely increase as Christmas 2025 approaches.