The Top 20  -  The World's Largest Pipe Organs          

Exclusive list of fully-playable pipe organs, based on actual (wind-blown) pipes only*, verified as of , by Sacred Classics

             ORGAN VENUE     BUILDER and YEAR *   CITY - COUNTRY MANUALS – RANKS – NUMBER OF PIPES * 

(1)  Macy's Department Store

John D. Wanamaker
1911

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

6 manuals–466 ranks–28,765 pipes

(2)  Cadet Chapel,
       U.S. Military Academy

M. P. Möeller
1911

West Point, NY  USA

4 manuals-380 ranks-23,236 pipes

(3)  First Congregational
       Church

E. M. Skinner
1932

Los Angeles, California USA

5 manuals-346 ranks-20,417 pipes

(4)  Cathedral of St. Stephen

Steinmeyer
1928

Passau, Germany

5 manuals-333 ranks-17,974 pipes

(5)  Crystal Cathedral

ÆolianSkinner/ Ruffati
1980

Garden Grove, California USA

5 manuals-273 ranks-15,948 pipes

(6)  National Auditorium

Tamburini
1957

Mexico City, Mexico

5 manuals-250 ranks-15,633 pipes

(7)  Milan Cathedral

Tamburini
1937

Milan, Italy

5 manuals-255 ranks-15,350 pipes

(8)  St. Matthew Lutheran
       Church

Austin
1925

Hanover, Pennsylvania USA

4 manuals-231 ranks-14,341 pipes

(9)  First Church of Christ,
       Scientist

Æolian-Skinner
1952

Boston, Mass. USA

4 manuals-238 ranks-13,290 pipes

(10)  Woolsey Hall,
          Yale University

E. M. Skinner
1928

New Haven, Conn. USA

4 manuals-197 ranks-12,617 pipes

(11)  St. Bartholomew's Church

E. M. Skinner
1917

New York, NY  USA

5 manuals-225 ranks-12,422 pipes

(12)  St. Giovanni Bosco Church

Tamburini
1948

Bologna, Italy

5 manuals-216 ranks-12,278 pipes

(13)  St. Lorenz Church

Steinmeyer
1937

Nüremberg, Germany

5 manuals-227 ranks-12,184 pipes

(14)  Riverside Church

Hook & Hastings
1930

New York, NY  USA

5 manuals-208 ranks-12,076 pipes

(15)  Mormon Tabernacle

Æolian-Skinner
1945

Salt Lake City, Utah USA

5 manuals-206 ranks-11,623 pipes

(16)  Calvary Church

M. P. Möeller
1990

Charlotte, N. Carolina USA

5 manuals-205 ranks-11,499 pipes

(17) Cathedral of
        Saints Peter and Mary

Klais
1948

Cologne, Germany

4 manuals-197 ranks-10,952 pipes

(18)  Cathedral of St. Liborius

Sauer
1981

Paderborn, Germany

4 manuals-201 ranks-10,885 pipes

(19) Ocean Grove Auditorium

Robert Hope-Jones
1908

Ocean Grove, NJ USA

5 manuals-177 ranks-10,823 pipes

(20)  National Cathedral of
         Saints Peter and Paul

E. M. Skinner
1938

Washington, DC USA

4 manuals-189 ranks-10,650 pipes

    *Notes:

  •  Only genuine speaking pipes are counted.
  •  Some ranks may be of small compass (i.e., having fewer than 61 pipes per rank).
  •  "Digital" (i.e., electronic) "ranks" are not counted. For example, the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel's 268-rank organ has 110 actual pipe ranks
  •  Many organs have been rebuilt and enlarged by different builders since first constructed --- the original builder provenance is shown here.
  •  The largest pipe organ ever built is in Atlantic City (NJ) Boardwalk Hall, having 7 manuals, 33,112 pipes and 447 ranks when built by Midmer-Losh in 1929. It is not currently playable but plans for its restoration are underway

    More about Sacred Classics

    ©2010 Atlas Communications, All rights reserved.