Macy’s

If you’ve seen one Macy’s, you’ve seen ’em all, right? Wrong! This Macy’s is in a building that was formerly home to Wanamaker’s, considered by many to be North America’s first full-fledged department store. Lord & Taylor’s followed in this location, then was replaced by Macy’s, which opened its doors on this historic landmark site in August 2006.

Designed to resemble Paris’s Les Halles, the grand building comes complete with marble floors, elegant columns, and gold details around a grand central atrium. It also boasts one of the world’s largest playable pipe organs and a 2,500-pound bronze eagle statue from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.

A light-and-music show of the Nutcracker plays hourly in the central atrium during the holiday season; the old Philadelphia [2] tradition has survived the changing of the store’s ownership, drawing crowds each year. Be sure to peek inside even if you don’t need to buy anything.