The Wanamaker Organ - Inside the world's largest operating musical instrument
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Most Philadelphians don’t realize that the largest working musical instrument in the world is built into one of the city’s landmarks, the former John Wanamaker department store, now Macy’s, at 13th and Market streets.
The Wanamaker Grand Court Organ at Macy’s is a 7-story-high contraption bigger than most people’s houses, even rich people’s. The vast maze of 26,677 pipes and baffles and bellows and wires and wooden stairways lies hidden behind what many of us have always thought was the Wanamaker Organ.
Guitar tuner : Uses fingers
Piano tuner : Uses tools
Pipe organ tuner : has an office inside the organ
and two full-time employees lmao
Don’t forget about drummers. We use a key.
LOL
Original gangster
I read "The Wanker's Organ".
And it is !
People seem to have an orgasm at seeing so many keys and switches.
Just like the number of screens and buttons on a BMW only for a different crowd.
When people ask most musicians what we play: "I play the piano/harp/flute/cello!"
When people ask organists what they play: "I PLAY A 14-STORY BUILDING. FEAR ME."
Well, an organ is LITERALLY the size of the entire building. That's no joke, the pipes hidden behind the walls have so powerful sound, the air is travelling to farthest points of the building to the pipes. Most of you may know, a pipe organ is mostly used in churches. And there's a reason why pipe organ is called the king of musical instruments. It can literally play thousands of voices at once. This is so powerful.
Not all will understand or care about the how sounds are achieved.,.lots of care and maintenance for Macy's.
Carillon Players: "Yeah, But can the whole Town hear you play?"
@@TheSinkingTitanic2 ROTFL
Very true J Cortese, citizens of Philadelphia can be pleased to have the world's most biggest organ. If you love organ music and should you be in Philadelphia, this is one feature you wouldn't like to miss.
that one dude was respectful and took off his shoes.
I play with organ shoes not used for walking so no grit wears the pedals. I like it better than socks only.
Modern shoes are often too wide for playing the pedals. You can buy special organ shoes, or jazz dancing shoes with small heels, which are cheaper.
Toby Vance I used to have a pair of soft leather, thinly soled ankle boots that were my favorite for pedaling. They got ratty looking over the years and I purchased organ shoes. I still like my boots better. ❤️🎶🎵
Most of us can't play in socks unless in dire circumstances. For me, my Achilles tendon starts hurting. The loafers the one guy was wearing could be dedicated to organ playing; another organist friend of mine does that.
I remember going to Wanamakers when I was a younger to see this organ and watch a light show over the holidays. It was wonderful.
after these older guys get their reward to the other side who's left to preserve these things of history. it'll be a sad day when our hodden histories get tossed to the curb cause somebody simply don't respect the craftsmanship and time it took to build these things. I'm young but I understand the necessity of having these things. if it wasn't for historical object than history's just words. anyone can speak words. its knowing that makes you alive.
Well that's why it's good this organ has a corporate sponsor. My great uncle was an organist in vaudeville theaters and built a pipe organ in his house as a hobby (the guts looked a lot like this one but much smaller). When he died, no one wanted the organ so his decades long hobby ended up scrapped.
Toby Vance What if Old Harry the janitor spills some fluid of some kind on it? That would be an "Oh Sh*t" moment!😳
Well, as the man said in the video, the organ was almost completely broken down and unplayable. Given enough time, it would have been forgotten entirely. Macy's not only helped bring attention to the instrument, but spent who knows how much money repairing it and even more on the employees whose sole job it is to keep it running. I don't care if it's supposed to draw customers into their store thus making them money, the fact that they thought to restore this thing is worth letting them slide on that fact.
It would be awesome if more historical objects (art, instruments, whatever) could be preserved by some of these corporations that are worth billions. Yeah, it costs money, and sometimes a lot of it, but that stuff could be lost forever without help.
WORD. Well said.
Today’s generations, with their “give me”attitudes, will ultimately be the ruination of our society, and the demoRATS, with their unending greed for votes, are leading the way.
Free healthcare, free housing, free everything, that we cannot afford will be the end of what is good today. I am 70 now, and maybe I should not care, because I will be dead and it will be todays youth that will suffer!
And the worst thing is they do not care and will not listen!
How do I carry it to my next gig?
Sipho Ndhlovu I think you can order the carrying case from Amazon.
With this instrument, the gig comes to the instrument.
Sipho Ndhlovu Think about Johnny Cash' record "One Piece At A Time!"😁
You carry your next gig to it!
every sunday at 12 am?
Ahhh, Philly! Home Sweet Home! I remember as a kid we used to roller skate a lot. It was always to organ music (for some reason). It probably wasn’t played on this beauty!!
So happy to hear that the organ is back to fully functioning. This is a marvel
Im shaking and crying this is too beautiful
Solution for Atlantic City: convert the convention hall into a shopping mall, and the organ therein will be playable again.
y11971alex the organ is now 100% functional but still needs a massive amount of tuning
Atlantic City is not even a third playable at this point. Far from 100% working.
The Midmer-Losh organ is only 35% restored. The Stage Left Chamber is currently being restored. Once that is done, 50% of the organ will have been restored. It's expected to be finished by 2023.
CorvetteCoonass
2023?!?!?!?!?
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
@@omnitone remember these things are MASSIVE. Absolutely massive. There is a good reason that people say playing an organ is playing a church or a building. The really good ones are just that massive.
Fantastic sounds and instrument! More like the cockpit of a dozen aircraft! Have seen and heard it in person years ago!
I hope to one day get to Philadelphia to hear this in person.
I got to see this thing in person in its Christmas attire. My only lament is I didn’t get to hear it play, because as I understand it they play it twice a day Mon-Sat.
I'd love to hear John Paul Jones play the keyboard parts for Kashmir on that thing!!! Holy crap!!!
YES
Pilot, Engineer, Navigator, cockpit complete sir, main blower on, commence symphony!
That is one fearsome beast of an instrument.
Thank you Mr. Macy!!
This instrument is a Philadelphia Treasure.
I continue to patronize this store , not just for the Organ, and the historical place the building has, Macy’s is a fine organization and place to shop. I enjoy the experience, the quality, and gladly pay retail for it. ( but they often have great sale offers too ) and the commitment and dedication shown in preservation of the Wanamaker organ.
You don’t see this kind of commitment much these days on the retail side.
.
Just think. If that organ had been housed in Detroit, it would be sitting in an abandoned building, the pipes stripped, the keyboards defaced and the building open to the elements and full of mold and vermin. When Philadelphia becomes the next Detroit, you may see it yet.
I'd love to see this in person.
What an organ!
That's like the cockpit of several 747s... where's the landing gear, awesome bit of kit!
that's a mighty organ!
I would like to hear some Boston or Edgar Winter Frankenstein on this thing!
If I could, I get a big enough house to have an organ exactly like that.
You must be a billionaire then
That would be an impressive sound with all the stops pulled
I want to know how someone designed something that complex. just amazing
What song did Michael stairs play on the organ
when the whole building is an instrument...
That is amazing...
This is crazy insane! I'd like to know more about the inventor(s)
Just do a Google search for the 1909 St. Louis Fair organ built by the L.A. Organ company. That's the original core of the Wanamaker instrument.
@1:21 - For when you want to play some Gary Numan.
The Washington Post, nice
What is the song at the beginning?
It's amusing to think what Bach would have thought of it. lol
Where can I buy one
someone please play the phantom of the opera's main theme on it
Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun! Dun! Dun! Dun! Dun! Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!
How was that? ;)
consumerism is my religion and macy's is my temple
who has the largest organ Philly or Atlantic City? Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall's has over 30,000 plus pipes and 7 plus pedals making 8 rows of pedals.
“Organists are part octopus”
And right then, a third foot appears in the background.
Yeah, that was funny. :)
Badly Drawn Turtle I just noticed that as well!! 😂😂😂😂. I laughed way too hard at that lol
But I thought "third foot" was the indian name for the Shi Tzu.
It's almost as if they edited it that way
If they are "octopus", it goes without saying that they have a third foot. The series has to go up to eight OCTO. You have to revise your Latin.
Its not the size that matters.... Unless you need a tour of a huge building to see all of it... Then size matters....
You know what they say about organs with big consoles
Shining Armor
I know what they say about MY organ!
+Frabbledabble ok, that one was good
They say "keep it in your pants"
They said my organ wasn't big enough.
6 keyboards and like 600 keys on each side with all the switches. flying a space craft seems less complex than this
Does Kerbal Space Program works?
Have you ever built a level 3 sentry?
it does seem to take multiple people to play the thing. One pilot and one engineer.
Even Bach sometimes had an assistant to change the stops. (Not counting the poor apprentice pumping the bellows,)
Team Fortress 2???? I was building level 3 sentries in Team Fortress 1 while you guys could barely walk.
I think the neighbor kid has one of these things in his civic.
For forward propulsion?
.. hehe
omg! lmfao! thanks for that laugh.
the neighbor kid has a macy's in his civic? O.o
You mean pipes?
I’m a pilot and have been for three decades. What these musicians do with this organ, makes anything I do in the cockpit pale in comparison. Furthermore, what an amazing feat of mechanical engineering ! Thank you so much for sharing this behind the scene tour.
Right? Cockpits are rather simple compared to 6 keyboards and so many stops.
I couldn't even handle one.
Morrov PL No, me either. Amazing 4-limb skill. I’m a drummer too and thought that was complicated. No, not compared to that organ.
@@randyporter3491 Instruments are very complex and in depth compared to what is essentially stick and rudder with computers glued in.
Mad respect to people who mastered them.
Morrov PL That’s very true. The changes in avionics since I started flying is drastic. It’s more of a video game world now. In fact, the gamers and simulator pilots transition easily to the new technology. They just have to learn the flying skills
@@randyporter3491 Right, even in little GA aircraft you get these giant G1000s, making it all so much easier.
I'm doing my modular right after I graduate from uni in 2 years, and I chose an old C150, so I can learn to fly without a huge GPS unit staring into my face...
The organ was built at a cost of $105,000 in 1909, that is about $2,644,489.29 in todays money (9/2017)
Church really got power in and around the history
Moo Kitty The 1909 cost was just the start, John Wanamaker actually set up a pipe organ manufacturing company in the store and it grew exponentially. Today a New pipe organ for a church costs appx $25,000 per rank. However an organ of such such scale has many large scale ranks, particularly in the pedal, which can surpass $100,000 per rank. It is no hyperbole to say a new instrument to replace this would be over $50,000,000.
@@zorokagami What does a chucrch have to do with this?
lol the fact that a 1 pound four string violin costs twice as much is sad
And that was only for a fraction of the current instrument. And, the whole thing put the organ builder out of business because of the cost of making it and shipping it via rail to the St. Louis World's Fair.
I couldn't care less if the only reason why Macy's decided to revive this organ is to attract patrons. This is an amazing piece that would have likely been completely forlorn if it weren't for their self interest.
Somos Numero Uno And with retail giving way to online shopping, and Macy's closing stores across the country, there's no certainty that their shareholders will continue to accept the six-figure annual cost of staff and maintenance required for this monster. Who know? It might be seven figures.
a jet fighter less, ONE day of war in a country the USA does not need and there would be plenty money there...
Somos Numero Uno We are number one but it's Bernie Sanders and it's Spanish...
It is a private organization and donations from private citizens that is paying for the restoration of the organ. It is a historic landmark and as such can not - at least in theory - be destroyed. Even is Macy's closes as a retail store, the organ would either have to be moved or preserved where it is. Macy's, in any case, does not pay for the maintenance of the organ,
Thank you for pointing that out. I had the same concern as "John Techwriter" when I heard about the association with Macy's. History is important here in Philadelphia - even the late Ravi Shankar said he liked that about us. He contrasted us with Manhattanites, but they're not alone. Try telling a Chicagoan that we used to agree not to build above Billy Penn's hat, [the statue atop City Hall], and watch their jaw drop. (They still can't figure out why we hang onto a cracked bell.)
But does it have midi ports ?
No, but it can process external audio through it's pipes.
It doesn't have 1V/Oct CV in/out? Pathetic. A toy. Not even worth it. Back to the drawing board.
@Carter Mattoon No, it's for playing audio games.
They could probably add MIDI without too much effort. The keyboards uses electric signals to open the valves anyway, unlike mechanical organs which use the movement of the keys to mechanically open valves.
check out Rob Scallon's channel. This one doesn't, but the one in Chicago does.
Man imagine playing davy jone's theme on that beast of a organ .
Yes
Jusgentleman 1256 or the most epic version of The Baby Elephant Walk
Daydream Believer? yeah, I guess that'd be cool.
I'd prefer In a Gadda da Vida from Iron Butterfly.
Or something nice from Uriah Heep.
I'd wish Jon Lord could play it today.
Imagine playing Ganondorf's inner castle theme from Ocarina of Time on that beauty.
Thank you Macy's for saving this treasure. Now if only Atlantic City could find similar savior for the Boardwalk Organ which is even bigger.
kiqw it's still in the middle of restoration. They have a RUclips channel with occasional updates.
what there's an other organ . bigger. than this . 🤔
The organ at the Atlantic City Convention Hall is slightly larger but not fully functional yet due to storm damage(leaking room many years a go) and lack of maintenance. It is now undergoing a multi-year restoration project. Once completed it will be again the world largest pipe organ. As an example, This organ at Macys has six manuals and around 30,000 pipes whereas the organ in in Atlantic City organ hs seven manual (two of which are larger the standard 61 note organ manuals) and has about 35, 000 apes. I understand that Mr. Conte neede to promote the organ at Macys but hegas played the Atlantic City organ and there is one or two You Tube videos of him doing that.
@@kiqw I don't know how many apes this organ has; are they really necessary? Must cost a fortune in bananas...
@@kiqw the organ at Atlantic City is the world’s largest based on number of pipes, however the Wanamaker Organ is the world’s largest pipe organ based on number of ranks and physical mass weight.
What a fantastic musical instrument. The time and resources it must have taken to create it must have been phenomenal! Thank you Macy's for caring for and restoring this fantastic piece of musical artistry!
what a masterpiece. and lets just hope no penny-pinching chair pusher gets the idea to silent that. and replace it with a, cheaper to maintain, electronic tin can.
I'm all for devising an initiative to create tools/methods to maintain the organ easier and in turn cheaper.
Brad Penrod where can i get this vst plugin?
the lavish scale of the construction of the organ bankrupt its builder
As a Philadelphian, it is a yearly ritual to go into Macy's each year and see their Christmas display, and catch a glimpse of the Wanamaker organ.
I am glad I know about this now.
I'm so jealous. Must be wonderful to hear.
When I lived in Philly back in the 70s and 80s dropping in at Wannamaker's when the organ was being played was a moving experience.
@@jonathanstewart351Still is.
"What floor do you want the organ on?"
- "Yes".
but have the played the Interstellar OST on it?
they should
Oh, such a grand idea!
"Those aren't mountains"
Jaden Smith "they're waves"
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.
COOPER.
Friend: what instrument do you play man?
me: church
Technically this guy would say he plays a department store
@@shawnpl0x everyone assume that organs are only built in churches, I watched one before this with this same comment too, and it also was not in a church, it was in a German concert hall.
@@shawnpl0x yeah I just came from that comment section. We have a joke thief 😂
All including nërv sistem
There is a special ward, deep within the bowels of a nearby mental asylum, created for the sole purpose of housing the unfortunate souls who tried to read the sheet music for that thing.
The sheet music is standard three staves, rarely more. You only have two hands and one pair of feet. Adding stops merely adds the number of duplications of a given note (pitch) which is produced with one finger on one key, and any child can do that.
@@urmorph yeaaaahhhhhhhh.... sight reading can get pretty depressing though
I bet they tried to play Call of Cthulu.
Imagine how it must sonds if ALL Stops are coupled on one manual o.O
that would be magnificent!
Christoper Anton that would be deafening!!
Danny Benthien They say it sounds horrible if you just pull all stops out without being selective about them. Also, all the quiter stops are just wasting air since they cannot be heard then.
By that point the organ might be starved for air despite 8 blowers.
Not if everything is tuned properly. But it WOULD be overwhelmingly loud. Of course, a lot of the softer ranks would be completely drowned out.
This organ has a switchboard for which ranks are used multi-level tutti switches, to avoid both unnecessary loudness unless true "full organ" is what's wanted, and to avoid using soft stops that wouldn't be heard.
That’s one of the most wholesome things a multi million dollar company has done
Oh shut up you dimwit.
@@brucekaren6693 why you gotta be so rude
@@jakedarmstadter6943 Bruce “Karen”
@@georgehaas7292 lmao I didn’t even notice that
@@jakedarmstadter6943 By the way, I think I have seen your account elsewhere on RUclips. Small world huh? Also, is that you with Peter in the picture?
Dang! We used to have so much time to devote to building such wonderous things. I can't imagine how someone ever thought to create this giant organ. Just think of the amount of items which had to be cut and shaped just to make one key on one keyboard play 1 note. Mind boggling.
The "other guy" playing the Wanamaker Organ in this video was the late Michael Stairs, another great organist from Philadelphia, and a teacher and conductor as well. Sadly, Michael passed away in 2018 and his memorial service (at his home church) was packed to the
rafters with his friends and colleagues.
please play once on tihs instrument " Castlevania - bloody tears"
Hats off to Macy's for putting some well-deserved effort into the restoration and maintenance of this marvelous instrument. I hope it continues to play for decades to come!
Embarrassed to say I remember that organ from the original _Mannequin!_
Amazing! Just heard it play this weekend while in Philly for the holidays.
Would love to hear Toccata and Fugue played on this magnificent instrument!
As in BWV565?
I was there in 2001 in the "champagne seating section" when he did the dedication recital to honor the organ's full restoration and it was absolutely indescribable. The next day, I was at the console beside the organist controlling some of the stop tabs for the organist as he played Vierne's The Carillon.
Show me the Forbidden Stop that opens the black iron pipe deep in a hidden basement that drives all listeners mad.
Isaac Marion do you know the legend of “the brown note”?
eliot duhan It’s not a story the church would tell you...
That would be so scary to control, to me at least.
AMAZING INSTRUMENT = I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF "VISITING' & HAVING MY PHOTO TAKEN, SITTING AT THIS HUGE, BEAUTIFUL-SOUNDING INSTRUMENT. THANKS FOR THIS WONDERFUL VIDEO. from Lois Carolyn (Baker) Smith, a Church Musician
It would be great to have a more regular postings from the wanamaker organ when notable performances( guest organist) are conducted other than holidays does anyone know if they post more often?
Can you imagine playing Saint-Saëns third there with full orchestra?
I bet the acoustics would be great.
Oh yeah that ending!!!!
I legit can't play a keyboard with both hands, and you have these guys using every single Limb and digit in their bodies to make music.
Wish I had known this BEFORE I went to Philly smh
Amazing instrument that is kept amazingly clean inside - no dust to be seen anywhere!
Dust is a great enemy in all pipe organs, for both pipes and mechanisms. Keeping it clean is preventive medicine to keep it from relapsing.
Considering the size and power of this organ - just activate all the stops, play some big chords at maximum volume, and there won't be any dust within 3 or 4 miles, I reckon.
Every now and again, man creates something I find so absolutely impressive and complicated and so amazing. This is one of those times.
would love to hear Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor on this
Dude, he has sooooo many other pieces that are equally as cool. Not to mention the hundreds of other cool pieces there are. Not saying toccata is bad, it’s just that there is so much more out there than it.
@@user-pz4um9hi1jNothing is equally as cool. Nothing comes even close. Dude.lol
@@mp3ste1 Go listen to his Fantasia in G Minor.
There is a Virgil Fox recording out there. I have the album from long ago, but burned a cd off the internet.
@@mp3ste1 Or 'We All Belive In One True God'
Or the Pascalliga In C Minor.
Seeing and hearing this organ in person is a life event! All the videos and recordings in the world just don't capture the grandeur of this amazing instrument. It is usually played quite mildly when the store is open to shoppers. If the organist really lets loose on it, you could barely handle standing in the grand court. This is one of the most magnificent sights to behold and experience! Put this on your bucket list!
Just imagine tuning that instrument 😅
When I was on vacation in Philadelphia last month, I was lucky enough to get to hear this wonderful instrument played live. Anyone who make it to Philadelphia absolutely has to hear the Wannamaker Organ.
No sé porque razón tu comentario me aparece en un video en inglés sobre un órgano gigante, khe xd
@@Daniela-yi3xn él dijó que si estás en Philadelphia, debes visitar el orgáno porque es increíble. Lo siento, no hablo español perfecto, pero espero que te ayudé un poco.
If just playing a 3 or 4 voice fugue can be challenging with this I would definitely go crazy. Jeez
Virgil Fox was the best on this organ. There is nobody better then Virgil Fox.
Thank You Macy's for give it a new life!!
I remember that the organ was in a deplorable state when I was a kid (80-ies). I'm very happy the icon (!) is indeed well maintained. Good luck!
I would like to see Jon Lord from Deep Purple play Highway Star on this. 🎹🎸🎸🎶🎵🎼✌
this is absolutely amazing! I have a John wannamaker baby grand. It's nothing special but it's a really cool old instrument that works and sounds great.
Yes!!! The organist at the very beginning is playing in his socks! Me, too! (Many organists would frown on that.) Hoorah for you!
You know an instrument is mega when you need TWO people to play it
You should see some older mechanical organs. The larger ones need someone to actually play the keys and 2 people to turn the sheet music and operate the stop knobs.
How amazing and informative ! Thank you Macy's and also to this master organist, you are great!
don't forget to thank the assistant organist!
Organists are few and far between. Our church's organ sits silent because they can't find anyone to play it.
El Tigre that's sad. A huge and magnificent instrument, with no one to play it and let the sounds free.
what would happen if you pressed all of the keys at once? mass black out or a broken instrument ?
the man lol. Probably a mini earthquake and two blown eardrums.
A Stargate will open and Ra would step out
the man A lot of folks on the eastern seaboard would suddenly be in the dark? Maybe from Atlanta all the way to Bangor, Maine? And from the Coast all the way to Chicago.🙄
It's played only by organists, and organists know not to press all the keys at once. Think of driving a car and pressing all the pedals at once. Not a good idea!
Nice to see it's been preserved. So who gets to hear it and sing along with it etc? Are there events at this store? Is it all store and it's just a museum type unit? I would have liked to see more of it and the parts.
Richard Conte gives a great layman's description of an organ. A well produced news item all around, well done guys!
The Atlantic City organ has been converted to solid state and midi controls as sections are being restored. Not sure about the Wanamaker. But being able to program presets for a musical work from the console of this size would be immensely helpful to the organist and allow multiple stop changes with one button push from below the keyboard. Originally presets could be programmed from inside the organ relays by hardwired connections but it had to be a laborious and time consuming task.
I PARTICULARLY ENJOYED your video here!!! Yes, I am a pipe organ NUT, and yes I've played a few real pipe organs in my days. Unfortunately, the biggest organs that I played were "only" 3 manuals. I was impressed by the color coding of stops. I also particularly enjoyed the "behind the scenes" tour, such as going through the pipe house(s) and more--and seeing the massive blowers. This video was PARTICULARLY INTERESTING!!! I wonder if there's any hope of me taking this beast for a test drive before I die, or the rapture, whichever comes first!
May God's peace be with ye all--in the name of Jesus!
From John Nozum
A musician from Moundsville, WV
1:48 What is the title of this march? I have played it in a wind ensemble setting in the past but I can't remember the name!
That's Sousa's Washington Post March.
I have many wonderful childhood memories of this organ and Wanamakers! I'm glad to see the organ is healthy and still being played. It is sad how many of the pipe organs in this country are being distroyed. Thank you for the video and maintaining the organ and it's systems.
If you can play and understand the workings of that, flying a star ship will be a snap!¡!! Great information! Rock on Macy's!!! And Peter!!!! Keep it flowing.
man i thought my bassoon was big
THE BRO SHOW I thought my Marine Band Harmonica was big!
I thought my kazoo was big!
I worked at Wanamaker's Department Store when I was in High School many years ago (before Macy's bought the store). I used to stand in the atrium balcony right across from the organ at the same level. The sound and vibrations were so powerful you could feel your body vibrate and reverberate with the music. It was quite an experience. I loved it.
Is there a list of people who have played that organ?
Would love to hear "Chopsticks" on this!!
Muy interesante.y muy técnico. Una preciosidad.
Look at the size of that blower. It has 8 of them...
yootoby wasn't that a line from Star Wars ..Look at the size of that Thing?
What does the eagle mean? Is it like the ideal spot to hear the organ?
It's the ideal spot to eat a burger off the end of your gun.
plazasta No, the Eagle has no bearing to the organ itself as far as I know. The Eagle was a statue in the original Wanamaker's department store where people would meet. It may be a good place to hear the organ, but its noteworthy for being a good meeting landmark.
ah ok thanks
It's been claimed that the acoustics are especially good at that spot. But yes, it's mainly a popular meeting spot. Tell a local to "meet me at the Eagle," and they'll know where you mean.
plazasta The eagle built a nest in the works, perhaps.😁 Along with some bats, some hoot owls, maybe other critters.
The largest... that should be the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ in New Yor... Jersey.