Nothing in the world will ever make me use the M-word instead of Wanamaker's. No NYC wanna-be will change that this wonderful tradition is as bred-in-the-bone Philadelphia as meeting at the Eagle or the statue of Billy Penn atop City Hall!
Over 20 years ago, Mom & I had the joy of introducing John to the slightly diminished but still stunning glories of the light show. Oh, for him to have experienced ALL the lit figures that crammed onto the Grand Court atrium's magnificent 4-story high velvet curtain backdrop, the graceful glorious fountains that swayed & soared to the music, the unforgettable voice of John Facenda doing the narration!!
Those moments are a treasured memory in the hearts of many of us, but the show is still totally worth the trip downtown. Take the train & save the hassle of city driving & parking - it's just a couple blocks trek, out the door onto Market Street & turn right.
From noon to the final light show, the world-renowned Wanamaker Grand Organ joins into the festivities. A perfect family outing, the Christmas Light Show and Wanamaker Organ Concert is a Philadelphia holiday tradition that dates back more than half a century.
Still beyond stunned that we had the pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming joy of hearing our church's Christmas liturgy played on the Wanamaker Organ - one of the great moments of my life - and were invited up afterward to see the console.
Don't miss checking out the store's windows, especially along Market Street. Always extra special, they've been wowing crowds since the early 1870s!
In fact, John Wanamaker was the first merchant to feature holiday displays in his store windows.
I wish it was still possible for everyone to experience walking down the long Christmas Lane to Santa Claus - the Lockharts never graced Lits or Gimbels at Christmas, our hearts belonged to the Wanamaker's Santa & many a Lockhart child sat on his lap & had our photo snapped.
Oh, the memories of trips - long past my teens - to the glorious toy department, with the monorail whisking delighted children around the circumference, looking down on the toys & the fabulous model train layout, watching parents tenderly help little ones onto the glorious carousel, being one of the lassies & ladies gazing longingly at the floor-to-ceiling display case of dolls, then heading up to the Crystal Tea Room for a reviving lunch.
Those days are just a treasured memory, but a visit to the department store housed in the Wanamaker Building is still a world-class experience, one that should be high on the must-do list of anyone within relatively sane reach of Philadelphia!
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