Macy’s Christmas Light Show
A Philadelphia tradition since 1956
A source of awe and wonder for children of all ages
Macy’s Light Show is in full swing and runs from November 29 through December 31! Macy’s frequently displays a mailbox in the Grand Court for letters to St. Nick, or requests can be given in person at Santaland outside the Dickens’ Christmas Village.Macy’s DICKENS CHRISTMAS VILLAGE
Third Floor Holiday Lane (walk below the Magic Christmas Tree for up escalators. Elevators are on Market Street.) The redemption story of Ebenezer Scrooge runs the day after Thanksgiving through December 31 (Closed Christmas). Open daily: 10am-7pm. Viewers of the classic film Miracle on 34th Street will not be at all surprised that Macy’s has a special relationship with a certain gentleman from the North Pole, and indeed Santa may be visited here through December 24.
Macy’s Market Street Animated Christmas Windows
Macy’s is located inside The Wanamaker Building at 13th & Market Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Basic store Information is at 215-241-9000. There is parking underneath the Store with lot entrances on Juniper and 13th Streets. (Note that most weekdays the lot fills early with commuter parking, with more spaces opening in the early afternoon.)
PLANNING A LIGHT SHOW TRIP? BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN FOR LOTS OF HELPFUL INFORMATION!
At the Dickens Christmas Village (Third Floor Market Street) there is also a concession for photos with Santa (open through Christmas Eve), a studio to design a personalized teddy bear, and a Christmas gift shop (“Holiday Lane”) nearby. There is covered public parking under the Wanamaker Building with elevators leading to Street Level.
THE WANAMAKER ORGAN is used for the finale of the noon Light Show (except Sundays), and at the end of the 6 pm Light Shows (except Wednesday, Friday and Sunday). Recorded Wanamaker Organ versions conclude the show at all other times.
The Wanamaker Organ is played daily (except Sundays) at noon. It is also played on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 5:30 pm, and each Wednesday and Friday at 7pm. Note: this is the regular yearly schedule. The Wednesday show is stream-cast live over YesterdayUSA.com, also accessible from the Tune-In smartphone APP. Christmas Eve Day and New Year’s Eve day Wanamaker Organ concerts are generally cancelled due to potential curtailed store hours. The final daily light show on any given day might also not be held if it falls exactly at closing time.
Choose from a wide selection of Wanamaker Organ products at Macy’s Visitor Center!
WE REGRET THAT OPERATIONS AT MACY’S VISITOR CENTER HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED AT PRESENT DURING THE CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC. Looking for Wanamaker Organ books, CDs, DVDs and souvenirs? Want to learn more about Macy’s and the Organ? Want to join the Friends? Be sure to stop by the Macy’s Visitor Center and meet the friendly guides who […]
More Store and Light Show Handy Tips
MEALS, LODGING, NEARBY ATTRACTIONS, TIPS AND OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION IS HERE. Covered parking is available under the Wanamaker Building, but additional options are here. Read the fascinating story of Bert Medland, father of the Magic Christmas Tree here. An annotated bibliography by Adrianna Riccioni tracing the history of the Light Show is here. Our Philadelphia Visitors Guide is here. Escalators are located […]
Macy’s “Millennium” Makeover
Retailers have always kept the Light Show up-to-date, and the latest version, produced by Macy’s, is no exception. While retaining all the beloved elements of the John Wanamaker original, the revamped production — dubbed the Millennium Edition by designer Larry Kerecman — modernizes the equipment while allowing the Grand Organ to cast its holiday spell. […]
More on the Makeover
As far as the Wanamaker Organ was concerned, the main problem with past Christmas shows was that the instrument was covered by a huge theater curtain, muffling the Organ’s sound and robbing the hall of reverberation. Until the Grand Court was repainted for the American Bicentennial in 1976, this sound-deadening continued throughout the year as […]
The Holiday Light Show
Fun Facts and Figures Past and Present There are 34,500 LED lights on the Macy’s Magic Christmas Tree in six colors: red, yellow, green, blue, purple, and cool white, which breaks down to about 5,750 lights in each color. It is topped by a red Moravian (or Advent) star. The lights on the tree, the […]
Beginnings
The Store’s famous light show has always been one of Philadelphia’s most hallowed traditions since its inception in November 1955. It was devised by Frederick Yost, a Yale University theatre-lighting graduate who came to John Wanamaker and pioneered many of the beautiful Grand Court displays that kept the store in the forefront of retailing. Yost […]
The Show Evolves
During the 1960s various panels of figures set on plywood panels, were added, based on a narrative similar to that used today. Mrs. Yost’s voice was used for the Sugar Plum Fairy. The stentorian voice of legendary Philadelphia WCAU-TV newsman John Facenda, voice of NFL Films, added a powerful note of authority. Over the years […]
Characters in Use Today
Today’s show features two Bears, four Frostys, eight Reindeer, 50 Snowflakes, two Toy Soldiers, three Clocks, five Ballerinas, one Nutcracker, one Girl, one Prince, one Princess, two Candy Canes, Santa and the Conductor on the Santa Express Train.
Macy’s Dickens Christmas Village
Macy’s acquired the celebrated Dickens Christmas Village from Philadelphia’s Strawbridge & Clothier Department Store. Numerous animated figures depict scenes in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” (1843). While not as popular as the Wanamaker Light Show, the village drew customers to the fourth floor Strawbridge’s, and on one occasion a Dickens descendant presided at the season opening. […]
Macy’s Animated Windows
Macy’s has also enlivened Market Street with a series of fanciful windows spreading holiday cheer to the sidewalks. Festive holiday music from sidewalk speakers adds to the enchantment of this grand old department store tradition.