Shoppers bid farewell to Macy's as Center City Philadelphia store closes its doors for the last time

CBS News

24-03-2025

Thousands of people bid farewell to Macy's in Center City Philadelphia this weekend, and many shoppers visited the store Sunday for the final time.
"It's generations of people who have this deep memory of this place, of it being a family moment for them," Sharon Chesnut said.
There was a feeling of nostalgia for Philadelphia-area families who visited the landmark department store for the last time.
"I've been coming here since I was a toddler," said Sharon's mom, Eleanor Chesnut.
The mother and daughter came to the store to get one more photo with the eagle in the
Grand Court
. The two say they have decades worth of memories here.
"This is the last day here and I spent a lot of time here because I like to shop. So I figured I close them down," Eleanor Chesnut said
Sharon Chestnut added, "It was very important to make sure we got our family photo, to have that as a point of reminiscence for what it has meant."
The Wanamaker Building
has played a role in the lives of many since the store first opened in the early 1900s. And it continued to be significant even after it took on other department store names, with the latest being Macy's.
The
Christmas show
, with music and lights several stories high, is one of the many memories Patti Kennedy said will forever stand out.
"I've been here for a couple of hours roaming around thinking about all the times I met people here, laying down on the floor watching the show," Kennedy said.
On Saturday, families got a chance to make one final memory inside the Grand Court, hearing a day of concerts featuring the famous Wanamaker Organ.
It's the end of an era, but the building has a legacy many hope will continue.
"I hope this building can be something we all can enjoy again because we have for many, many years," Brian Hopkins said.