Peter Richard Conte teams with virtuoso Robert Plimpton and a full brass chorus and tympani for our Wanamaker Organ Day private evening concert: a tribute to Philadelphia Legend Robert Elmore. Proceeds from the concert benefit Friends events. We will have your name as a subscriber at our will-call desk. This full-price ticket is for nonmembers. Join the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ (icon at left) and become eligible for a $10 discount per ticket. Read on....

Peter Richard Conte teams with virtuoso Robert Plimpton and a full brass chorus and tympani for our Wanamaker Organ Day private evening concert: a tribute to Philadelphia Legend Robert Elmore. Proceeds from the concert benefit Friends events. We will have your name as a subscriber at our will-call desk. This discount ticket is for members and their friends only. Join the Friends (icon at left) and receive a $10 discount per ticket. Read on....

The Friends is a world-wide group of supporters encouraging the preservation and musical mission of this American masterpiece. A special introductory contribution of just $25 (U.S., Canada or overseas) entitles the donor to become a Friend and to receive four issues of The Stentor, the Society's lively historical newsletter and restoration update. Added tax-deductible donations support Friends concerts and programs. Read on....

NEW! Philadelphia is not only the birthplace of America, but also the incubator of our consumer culture. This profusely illustrated new book covers the stories of all the great merchants, from John Wanamaker, Strawbridge & Clothier, Gimbels, Lit Brothers, Snellenburg's and now Macy's. Nostalgic, informative and highly amusing! Read on....

NEW! This never-before-released historic video record of Keith Chapman's landmark 1986 concert includes a video pipe-chamber crawl with Macy's organ curator Curt Mangel, a feature on the organ's history, and a tribute to Shorty Yeaworth and the Wayne Concert Series. The full concert includes Chapman's acclaimed Pictures at an Exhibition. Hosted by Michael Barone. Read on....

The Friends' latest historic reprint is this riveting, extremely rare 38-page 1904 booklet with color and black-and white photos. Includes a fascinating essay by George Ashdown Audsley and a complete specification. Read on....

Barron Smith plays those Glorious Songs of Old in lush, full-organ arrangements! This new release of rare, vintage, high-fidelity recordings includes fifteen favorite Yuletide carols, Ferde Grofé's Christmas Eve Suite and a bonus mini-concert featuring Charles M. Courboin and Paul Mickelson in electrifying masterworks. Read on....

NEW! Charles M. Courboin, Virgil Fox, Walter Baker and Fernando Germani are featured in this deluxe Two CD set of all the very first recordings of the Wanamaker Organ. Thrill to rare, masterful performances and a heroic style of organ playing of yesteryear. Includes a deluxe booklet. More than two hours of fine music. Click on the photo for a full playlist! Read on....

After 80 years, The Philadelphia Orchestra joins forces with the world's greatest symphonic pipe organ for this historic concert! Features the Jongen Symphonie Concertante, the Dupre Cortege and Litanie and Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance. Read on....

Our best-selling video organ tour includes hundreds of images, rich music and captivatng narration by Nelson E. Buechner. Music by Peter Richard Conte, Keith Chapman and Virgil Fox, stop samples, plus a restoration update by curator Curt Mangel. Read on....

Peter Richard Conte's Yule recording features Philadelphia Brass in carols including O Tannenbaum! O Holy Night, I Saw Three Ships, Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella—plus works by Bach, Chapman, Dragon, Dupré, Langlais, more! Read on....

NEW! A wonderful retrospective on Wanamaker's, the store of many firsts founded by giant John Wanamaker in 1861. Philadelphians fondly remember the massive bronze eagle in the Grand Court, concerts from the organ and the spectacular Christmas Light Show. Philadelphia native Michael J. Lisicky takes us on a sentimental journey. Profusely illustrated. Read on....

Peter Conte's stupendous Wanamaker Organ CD›the first in the new resonate Grand Court acoustic›features hair-raising works by Mussorgsky and Wagner, and the British pomp and pageantry of Sir Edward Elgar. Read on....

Keith Chapman, the Wanamaker Organist in the '60s, '70s and '80s brought prodigious talent and a brilliant understanding of musical color to the Wanamaker Organ, The entire contents of the three original Stentorian albums are available in a deluxe Double-CD set. Read on....

Back in Print! Peter Richard Conte's third Compact Disc on the Mighty Wanamaker! Includes breathtaking arrangements of the Empire March and Sospiri by Elgar, the Hebble arrangment of the Londonderry Air (Danny Boy), the Wagner Liebestod, the Debussy Arabesque No. 1, the Vierne Clair de Lune, more! Read on....

This 2009 edition of William Allen Zulker's popular book includes more than 30 chapters on John Wanamaker, his fabulous career, his homes, political forays and religious beliefs, and the great emporium he built that houses the famous Eagle and pipe organ. Enjoy all 236 fascinating pages! Read on....

Peter Conte's second Grand Court CD salutes the musical Legacy of the Wanamaker Organ. Conte performs stunning renditions of music closely associated with the Wanamaker Organ by Guilmant, Dupré. Vierne, and Fox/Bach. The Dupré Symphonie-Passion (which was improvised here by Dupré) was recorded live. Read on....

Virgil Fox's landmark 1964 Wanamaker Organ recording is now available on CD! The LP was taped on state-of-the-art 35-mm magnetic film to capture the Wanamaker Organ's unsurpassed dynamic range. Includes a surround-sound bonus DVD using the same music plus two Fox videos: CBS's La Belle Epoque, and a 1980 Evening Magazine Wanamaker Organ segment. Read on....

The complete story of the Wanamaker Organ, from its California beginnings through the St. Louis World's Fair to the great Philadelphia department store that calls it home. Ray Biswanger's book unfolds with the richness of a great novel. 302 pp. Read on....

The Friends of the Wanamaker Organ is a world-wide group of supporters encouraging the preservation and musical mission of this American masterpiece. A special introductory contribution of just $25 (U.S., Canada or overseas) entitles the donor to become a Friend and to receive four issues of The Stentor, the Society's lively historical newsletter and restoration update. Read on....

This gorgeous tee shirt features a full-color photo of the Wanamaker Organ console and its golden case on quality black cloth. Please specify whether you want a Large or Extra Large shirt in the comments field when you finalize your order. Read on....

Rare archival digitally restored recordings faithfully capture thrilling interpretations on the Wanamaker Organ, and include more than two hours of music and captivating commentary. Read on....

The Friends went back to the vaults for more broadcasts from the bestselling series showcasing the brilliant musical imagination of Keith Chapman. These superb, digitally restored recordings faithfully capture the Wanamaker Organ's lush majesty and include more than two hours of beautiful music and brilliant commentary from Chapman's regular broadcasts. Read on....

These quality refrigerator magnets come in a set of three and each measures 2 1/2" by 3 1/2". Each features a full-color imprint on a metallic surface that is folded over a rigid magnet backing. Read on....

This classic, sturdy cotton canvas tote features the cover of Virgil Fox's famous Wanamaker Organ record album. Machine washable. Measures 15" x 18" x 6". Read on....

William C. Ressler, A.S.C., has portrayed the Grand Court, the Eagle and The Reigning Monarch of All Instruments in vivid watercolor as part of his acclaimed "Inside Philadelphia" series. Bring the splendor of the Grand Court into your home and support the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ! Read on....

This controversial remembrance of Virgil Fox by Richard Torrence and Marshall Yaeger, based on a memoir by Ted Alan Worth, includes important contributions by his many friends and admirers. 432 pages, softbound, many photographs. Read on....

Caught in the act: the zany antics of fabulous Philadelphians Peter Richard Conte, Rudy Lucente, Colin Howland and Michael Stairs—as they put four organs through their paces at the same time! Hear sonic-spectacular arrangements and look for their acclaimed schtick as they combine comedy with trademark virtuosic showmanship! Read on....

This never-before-offered Friends reprint of the 1916 booklet includes a complete tour with photos of the historic Wanamaker Store. The pamphlet opens a window on the storied department store's fabled past, and includes40 pages of history. Included is Organ lore and numerous photos and illustrations. Read on....

Send a Friends' gift membership to a friend at a special introductory price! He or she will receive a personalized gift card in your name plus four information-packed issues of our information-packed quarterly newsletter The Stentor. Each issue will arrive in the mailbox throughout the year to remind your friend of your kindness. Gift subscriptions are available for a special introductory price (to people who are not yet members) for just $20 a year. Simply fill out their name and address in the recipient fields of the order form and we will take care of the rest! Read on....

This marvelous book by Jill Johnston traces the casting of giant bells by England's Gillett & Johnston foundry to meet the carillon craze of the 1920s and 1930s. The book traces Cyril Johnston's specialty of tuning huge bells and looks at the commissioning of the Wanamaker Founder's Bell and huge carillons built for J.D. Rockefeller. 311 pages. Read on....

Temple University historian Herbert Ershkowicz's 227-page hardbound illustrated biography is the first full-length modern critical portrait of the Merchant Prince. The book traces Wanamaker's meteoric rise and probes beneath official biographies to give us the measure of a man who became Philadelphia's second Benjamin Franklin. A fascinating account. Read on....

Lowell Ayars, known affectionately as "The Singing Organist," plays five instruments including his own residence organ in this lively CD retrospective spotlighting the Wurlitzer going into Greek Hall. Read on....

Now in its second printing, here is the complete story of the Wanamaker Organ, from its California beginnings through the St. Louis World's Fair to the great Philadelphia department store that calls it home. Ray Biswanger's book unfolds with all the richness and detail of a great novel. Includes extensive specifications, numerous photos and illustrations. Read on....

This softbound guidebook to the Reigning Monarch of All Instruments in Philadelphia's Macy's department store. This elegant deluxe edition includes a history of the Wanamaker Organ, a photo section on the famous artists and celebrities associated with it, and a complete specification of its 28,482 pipes. Read on....

New! A wonderful retrospective on Wanamaker's, the department store of many firsts founded by retail giant John Wanamaker in 1861. Philadelphians fondly remember the massive bronze eagle in the Grand Court, concerts from the organ and the spectacular Christmas Light Show. Philadelphia native Michael J. Lisicky takes us on a sentimental journey. Profusely illustrated. Read on....

This timeless booklet from the Golden Age of the Wanamaker Stores is chock-full of information. Included are 18 illustrations, among them vintage photos of the Store and Organ interior, plus a special fold-out center section that opens up into a full sheet showing the celebrated engraving of the Grand Court Organ case in fine detail. Read on....

From the Los Angeles Art Organ Company comes this 32-page booklet on the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair Organ. We have combined with it a Scientific American reprint (April 23, 1904) of the story of the World's Largest Organ that includes a tour of the fabled factory that built it. Read on....

Murray M. Harris began organbuilding in 1894 Los Angeles at a time when only eight organs existed. Harris's business skyrocketed, and soon he was building the world's largest pipe organ for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. That organ would become our famous Wanamaker Organ. But wild cost overruns brought the wheeler-dealer builder to the brink of bankruptcy. Read on....

Keith Chapman, the Wanamaker Organist in the '60s, '70s and '80s brought prodigious talent and a brilliant understanding of musical color to the Wanamaker Organ, The entire contents of the three original Stentorian albums are available in a deluxe Double-CD set. Includes the acclaimed Pictures at an Exhibition, Airs and Arabesques, the Franck "Piece Heroique," much more! Read on....

Keith Chapman was the Wanamaker Organist for 25 years. Rare, never-before-released archival recordings are presented in a double-CD set. These digitally restored recordings faithfully capture the lush majesty of the Wanamaker Organ, and include more than two hours of beautiful music and captivating commentary from his regular stereo FM radio broadcasts. Features a 24-page commemorative booklet. Read on....

The Friends went back to the vaults for more broadcasts from the bestselling series. These superb, digitally restored recordings faithfully capture the lush majesty of the Wanamaker Organ, and include more than two hours of beautiful music and brilliant commentary from Keith Chapman's regular radio broadcasts Read on....

These quality refrigerator magnets come in a set of three and each measures 2 1/2" by 3 1/2". Read on....

This gorgeous tee shirt features a full-color photo of the Wanamaker Organ console and its golden case on quality black cloth. Please specify whether you want a Large or Extra Large shirt in the comments field when you finalize your order. Read on....

Barron Smith plays those Glorious Songs of Old in lush, full-organ arrangements! This new release of rare, vintage, high-fidelity recordings includes fifteen favorite Yuletide carols, Ferde Grofé's Christmas Eve Suite and a bonus mini-concert featuring Charles M. Courboin and Paul Mickelson in electrifying masterworks. Read on....

After 80 years, The Philadelphia Orchestra joins forces with the world's greatest symphonic pipe organ for this historic concert! Features the Jongen Symphonie Concertante, the Dupre Cortege and Litanie and Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance. Read on....

Peter Richard Conte's Yule recording features Philadelphia Brass in carols including O Tannenbaum! O Holy Night, I Saw Three Ships, Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella—plus works by Bach, Chapman, Dragon, Dupré, Langlais, more! Read on....

Peter Richard Conte's third Compact Disc on the Mighty Wanamaker! Includes breathtaking arrangements of the Empire March and Sospiri by Elgar, the Hebble arrangment of the Londonderry Air (Danny Boy), the Wagner Liebestod, the Debussy Arabesque No. 1, the Vierne Clair de Lune, more! Read on....

Peter Conte's second Grand Court CD is a tribute to the rich musical Legacy of the Wanamaker Organ. In "Legacy," Conte performs stunning renditions of music closely associated with the Wanamaker Organ by Guilmant, Dupré. Vierne, and Fox/Bach. The Dupré Symphonie-Passion (which was improvised at this organ by Dupré) was recorded during the 2002 AGO National Convention. Read on....

Peter Conte's stupendous Wanamaker Organ CD›the first in the new resonate Grand Court acoustic›features hair-raising works by Mussorgsky and Wagner, and the British pomp and pageantry of Sir Edward Elgar. Read on....

Keith Chapman, the Wanamaker Organist in the '60s, '70s and '80s brought prodigious talent and a brilliant understanding of musical color to the Wanamaker Organ, The entire contents of the three original Stentorian albums are available in a deluxe Double-CD set. Includes the acclaimed Pictures at an Exhibition, Airs and Arabesques, the Franck "Piece Heroique," much more! Read on....

Keith Chapman was the Wanamaker Organist for 25 years. Rare, never-before-released archival recordings are presented in a double-CD set. These digitally restored recordings faithfully capture the lush majesty of the Wanamaker Organ, and include more than two hours of beautiful music and captivating commentary from his regular stereo FM radio broadcasts. Features a 24-page commemorative booklet. Read on....

The Friends went back to the vaults for more broadcasts from the bestselling series showcasing the brilliant musical imagination of Keith Chapman. These superb, digitally restored recordings faithfully capture the Wanamaker Organ's lush majesty and include more than two hours of beautiful music and brilliant commentary from Chapman's regular broadcasts. Read on....

Virgil Fox's landmark 1964 Wanamaker Organ recording is now available on CD! The LP was taped on state-of-the-art 35-mm magnetic film to capture the Wanamaker Organ's unsurpassed dynamic range. Includes a surround-sound bonus DVD using the same music plus two Fox videos: CBS's La Belle Epoque, and a 1980 Evening Magazine Wanamaker Organ segment. Read on....

Guided Wanamaker Organ tours are conducted the last Saturday of each month following the 12 noon organ performance, and by special arrangement on other dates. An appointment must first be secured by e-mailing to tours@wanamakerorgan.com Please put the word TOURS in the subject line. In 2012, no Last Saturday tours are held during the Christmas season. Read on....

Guided Wanamaker Organ tours are conducted the last Saturday of each month following the 12 noon organ performance, and by special arrangement on other dates. An appointment must first be secured by e-mailing to tours@wanamakerorgan.com Please put the word TOURS in the subject line. In 2012, no Last Saturday tours are held during the Christmas season. Read on....

George Ritchie perfoms J. S. Bach's Complete Organ Works, availabe here on 11 CDs for only $49.95! "Impossible to recommend highly enough!" reviews The American Organist magazine. Read on....

You can have your name permanently displayed inside the Wanamaker Organ on our Wall of Honor for a tax-deductible gift of 1000!

Gifts of $2000 will be place your name as a Wanamaker Fellow.
Gifts of $5000 will place your name as a Benefactor.
Gifts of $10,000 will place your name as a Herald Angel.

Your fully tax-deductible gift will help keep the Wanamaker Organ singing proudly for decades yet to come and will provide a permanent remembrance of your generosity. Read on....

In cooperation with the family of Barbara Martin we have set up this site for memorial contributions. Mrs Martin was featured with the Wanamaker Organ early in her career and will be missed by all of us. A concert will be dedicated in her memory during 2012. Read on....

Click this link to donate to the Century II Fund It is not necessary to make a three year pledge to donate. Thank you for your support! Read on....

Donations to the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ are entirely tax deductible and help support our concert, restoration, newsletter and radio-broadcast programs. All of these initiatives depend on people like you from all over the world who know that hearing the Wanamaker Organ is a life-changing experience and that pipe organs of this quality and magnitude will never be built again. Read on....

Your gift will sponsor the Friends portion of the cost of a complete broadcast of the Wanamaker Organ Hour from Macy's. Help support this vital outreach program today and keep us on the air! Read on....

This sponsorship covers the costs of engaging a name artist at a future Friends of the Wanamaker Organ concert and thereby help get our music program in Greek Hall off the ground. The Friends Wurlitzer has been dubbed the "Smithsonian" Wurlitzer because it was originally chosen by the Smithsonian Institution for its lack of alteration and superb state of preservation. Read on....

Donations to the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ Wurlitzer project are completely tax deductible and are used exclusively to support the restoration of this historic theatre organ, which was once selected for display in the Smithsonian Institution before exhibition-hall plans were changed. Full details on the Wurlitzer are on the main Friends' website. Read on....

NEW! This never-before-released historic video record of Keith Chapman's landmark 1986 concert includes a video pipe-chamber crawl with Macy's organ curator Curt Mangel, a feature on the organ's history, and a tribute to Shorty Yeaworth and the Wayne Concert Series. The full concert includes Chapman's acclaimed Pictures at an Exhibition. Hosted by Michael Barone. Read on....

This exciting full-length video tour of the world's largest playing pipe organ includes hundreds of images, rich music suggestions and a riveting narration by the late curator Nelson E. Buechner. Visit every corner of the cavernous pipe chambers! Includes music by Peter Richard Conte, Keith Chapman and Virgil Fox, and a segment on the restoration narrated by curator Curt Mangel. Read on....

Virgil Fox's landmark 1964 Wanamaker Organ recording is now available on CD! The LP was taped on state-of-the-art 35-mm magnetic film to capture the Wanamaker Organ's unsurpassed dynamic range. Includes a surround-sound bonus DVD using the same music plus two Fox videos: CBS's La Belle Epoque, and a 1980 Evening Magazine Wanamaker Organ segment. Read on....

Virgil Fox's landmark 1964 Wanamaker Organ recording is now available on CD! The LP was taped on state-of-the-art 35-mm magnetic film to capture the Wanamaker Organ's unsurpassed dynamic range. Includes a surround-sound bonus DVD using the same music plus two Fox videos: CBS's La Belle Epoque, and a 1980 Evening Magazine Wanamaker Organ segment. Read on....

This thrilling Fox recording features Virgil's incomparable playing of Carols, anthems and songs. Vol. II is recorded at the 10,000-pipe Riverside Church organ in Manhattan, the towering Rockefeller-built Gothic edifice where Fox played Sunday services at the height of his career. Read on....

This third edition in the Fox Yuletide series feature Virgil's incomparable playing of Carols, anthems and songs. Volume III is performed on the great Harrison and Harrison Organ in Royal Festival Hall in London. Experience the holiday spirit as only Virgil Fox's flying hands and feet can present it! Read on....

This thrilling Fox recording features Virgil's incomparable playing of Carols, anthems and songs. Vol. II is recorded at the 10,000-pipe Riverside Church organ in Manhattan, the towering Rockefeller-built Gothic pile where Fox played spectacular Sunday services at the height of his career. Read on....

This controversial remembrance of Virgil Fox by Richard Torrence and Marshall Yaeger, based on a memoir by Ted Alan Worth, includes important contributions by William Armstrong, Marilyn Brennan, Louise Clary, Carlo Curley, Robert Hebble, David Lewis, Douglass Marshall, Richard Morris, T. Ernest Nichols, Michael Stauch, Frederick Swann, Charles Swisher, Floyd Watson, many others. 432 pages, softbound, many photographs. Read on....

Barron Smith plays those Glorious Songs of Old in lush, full-organ arrangements! This new release of rare, vintage, high-fidelity recordings includes fifteen favorite Yuletide carols, Ferde Grofé's Christmas Eve Suite and a bonus mini-concert featuring Charles M. Courboin and Paul Mickelson in electrifying masterworks. Read on....

This third edition in the exciting Fox Yuletide series features Virgil's incomparable playing of Carols, anthems and songs. All are performed on the great Harrison and Harrison Organ in Royal Festival Hall in London. Experience the holiday spirit as only Virgil Fox can present it! Read on....

Peter Richard Conte's Yule recording features Philadelphia Brass in carols including O Tannenbaum! O Holy Night, I Saw Three Ships, Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella—plus works by Bach, Chapman, Dragon, Dupré, Langlais, more! Read on....

Ray Biswanger's photostudy of the sonic resources of the world's largest playing pipe organ is available in a special signed limited-edition art print. Scenes of the layout of each chamber are shown in position in breathtaking detail. Professionally printed on high-resolution archival paper and fine inks. Read on....

City Hall is both an architectural gem and the functioning home of Philadelphia government. It was designed by John McArthur, Jr. Work began in 1871 and was completed in 1901. City Hall's architecture is of the florid Victorian style referred to as French Second Empire. This limited-edition print was painstakingly reproduced from the original watercolor and printed on fine paper. Read on....

Send a Friends' gift membership to a friend at a special introductory price! He or she will receive a personalized gift card in your name plus four information-packed issues of our information-packed quarterly newsletter The Stentor. Each issue will arrive in the mailbox throughout the year to remind your friend of your kindness. Gift subscriptions are available for a special introductory price (to people who are not yet members) for just $20 a year. Simply fill out their name and address in the recipient fields of the order form and we will take care of the rest! Read on....

The Friends of the Wanamaker Organ is a world-wide group of supporters encouraging the preservation and musical mission of this American masterpiece. A special introductory contribution of just $25 (U.S., Canada or overseas) entitles the donor to become a Friend and to receive four issues of The Stentor, the Society's lively historical newsletter and restoration update. Each issue is chock-full of 16 pages of photos and articles. Added tax-deductible donations (please see our donations entry) support Friends concerts and programs. Read on....