One of the most iconic spots to visit during the holidays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the Wanamaker Light Show (it even features 100,000 lights on the displays and tree!) The address for this location is 1300 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107. This year, in 2025, the show runs from November 28th to December 24th.

From November 28th through December 11th, you can see the show Wednesdays through Sundays, with light shows happening at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3;30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.

December 12 through December 23rd it will be on at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.

On December 24 (Christmas Eve) you can see it at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/wanamaker-light-show/

(As you may know, Macy’s closed March 23rd in 2025, this year, but the good news is that you can still go in this historic building to see the organ performances, which is awesome! It will remain in the historic Philadelphia Grand Court, and it is protected by Philadelphia’s Historic Commission, which safeguards the area. I wanted to post this update so that you know that you can still visit this iconic holiday spot!)

It is a free show to watch which is amazing, and reservations are not required at this time. There are many places for standing in this wide room.

Over the years, it has been so much fun to check out this historical holiday show. One of the main features of this specific organ is that it is the world’s largest playing pipe organ with 28,575 pipes! To review its history, it was created for the 1904 St. Louis Fair by the well known organ architect George Ashdown Audsley, who also wrote the novel “The Art of Organ-Building.” An investor, Murray M. Harris, also had a major impact on the project and was known as “The Father of Organ Building in the American West.”

In 1909, a Philadelphia merchant named John Wanamaker, bought this organ that was featured in the St. Louis Fair for his emporium (a large retail store.) Thirteen freight cars were used in the shipping process, and the installation as a whole took place over 2 years. For the first time, the Grand Organ was heard in the store’s seven story atrium on June 22, 1911, at the exact time that England’s King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey. On another historical note, in 1911, the store was featured when President William Howard Taft dedicated the store.

Over the years, many symphonies and concerts have been featured here, and the location is a registered National Historic Landmark. The Wanamaker Organ is the American Symphonic in design, and it can play the entire range of orchestral literature, as well as so many grand organ masterworks.

Its pipework has the resources of three symphony orchestras, and the String Organ by itself has 7,000 pipes. Over the years that we have visited, we are always in total amazement listening to it, and the music that you hear is breathtakingly beautiful! I understand why so many churches have organs, because you are totally transported into another place with the rich tones drifting through the air.

As you meander about the area, you will find a very interesting bronze statue of an eagle. It was created by German sculptor and expressionist artist August Gaul to represent Germany at 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. The Eagle is made of “Durana” bronze, which gives it a nice golden hue.

The 2,500 pound (about 1,134 kg) Eagle was made by hand, and every feather was individually attached. It took skilled workers 5 months to complete this beautiful artwork. At the end of the fair, John Wanamaker acquired the piece to display in his store, and it has stood in that location ever since. A local saying among those who reside in Philly is to “meet up at the Eagle.”

When I was a youth, I lived in the Philadelphia area, and then in my mid twenties, about ten years ago, I moved back. I feel like the holidays are a time full of traditions, and my husband and I have started to build our own. Every year, we love going into Center City, Philadelphia for the holidays, because they really go all out with everything. We enjoy making a stop at the Wanamaker Light Show, and it really is so elegant and festive with the lights, animations, stories, and truly fantastic music.

This is a spectacular light display, and is sure to give you some holiday cheer! Let me know in the comments if you have ever traveled to this location before, and what you thought as well. I hope you are having a wonderful day, and remember to click the like and subscribe button!

-More Amazing Christmas Locations To Check Out In The Philadelphia Area

Comcast Holiday Spectacular In Philadelphia

A Very Philly Christmas Village!

The Holiday Garden Railway At The Morris Arboretum

Elmwood Park Zoo Wild Lights

Fonthill Castle

Bethlehem Christmas Market

Koziar’s Christmas Village In Bernville Pennsylvania

NortheastAllie

For generations, my family has lived in the Philadelphia area, and my writing reflects these influences. This blog explores perspectives on life, encouragement, travel, health, and local living.

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