The Top 20  -  The World's Largest Pipe Organs          

Exclusive list of fully-playable organs, ranked by total number of wind-blown pipes*, 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) Ocean Grove Auditorium

Robert Hope-Jones
1908

Ocean Grove, NJ USA

5 manuals-184 ranks-11,226 pipes

(18) Cathedral of
        Saints Peter and Mary

Klais
1948

Cologne, Germany

4 manuals-197 ranks-10,952 pipes

(19)  Cathedral of St. Liborius

Sauer
1981

Paderborn, Germany

4 manuals-201 ranks-10,885 pipes

(20)  National Cathedral of
         Saints Peter and Paul

E. M. Skinner
1938

Washington, DC USA

4 manuals-189 ranks-10,650 pipes

    *Notes:  Unlike other listings ordered by number of ranks or "stops", we count only genuine speaking pipes. Listings by ranks are not as reflective of an organ's true size, as some ranks may be of small compass (i.e., having fewer than 61 pipes per rank). For example, a 16' string rank may just extend to Tenor C, not Low C.  Also, our list does not count "digital" (i.e., electronic) "ranks" — thus, the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel's 268-rank organ having 110 actual pipe ranks is not among the largest organs listed here.

  •  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 at Atlantic City (NJ) Boardwalk Hall, having 7 manuals, 33,112 pipes and 447 ranks when built by Midmer-Losh in 1929 — it is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. However, this organ has not been playable for many years and its future restoration is uncertain.

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