The World’s Largest Wurlitzer Organ Is in This Pizza Shop

When you dine at Organ Stop Pizza, you’re in for a show. The Mesa, Arizona, restaurant is home to the largest Wurlitzer organ in the world. Organist Brett Valliant plays the massive instrument for patrons, with an accompanying light show. The restaurant, which opened in 1972, is unique today, but during the 1970s and ’80s, there were well over 100 restaurants serving pizza and pipes across the United States.
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[@sunny_waifu2955]

My biggest organ is my stomach after binge eating pizza

[@bakedcreations8985]

Stunning and brave!

[@whymakemelikegobruuh767]

Sayori? Not something out of character.

[@cycleSCUBA]

More stomach than man, as Homer Simpson was once described 😝

[@Nacho-Mamma]

Don’t ever change! Preserve the restaurant and that exquisite organ! Theatre organs are the greatest instruments ever created, and a big chuck of my childhood Saturdays were spent in a local theater watching the organist do her dance of flying arms & legs across the console, and her torso bouncing like a carousel horse at warp speed. Those days passed 45-50 years ago. But, pushing 60, I close my eyes and can still see her bobbing as she’d play “Too Too Tootsie”, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, or “Stardust”. If I ever had the opportunity to come to town, I would most definitely make this a requirement destination!

[@fronkus123]

This place is pretty rad. My old music teacher took everyone in the grade here.

[@ShrimpExpert]

Your teacher is pretty rad

[@DanHarkless_Halloween_YTPs_etc]

Lucky. How's the pizza?

[@cunty]

mine too!!

[@evanwhite2845]

My dad used to love to take me here. Great childhood memories.

[@algallego]

@@DanHarkless_Halloween_YTPs_etc The pizza's pretty good-- nothing to write home about, but you'll appreciate it while eating it.

[@JRobert111111]

In the mid 70's there was a place with this same idea called Pipes And Pizza, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Big Wurlitzer Organ and all those instruments placed all around the room. There was a huge glass room behind the organ where all the pipes were and it was also glass along the sidewalk outside, and you could feel the glass just vibrating. The pizza was great too! Some fun times there, but due to lease issues it didn't make it to the 80's.

[@John-oe5nb]

I am reading this a year later, but we used to go to this place here in SLC. A lady, Darlene Walker who lived behind me played it. For some reason I have been thinking about those days lately. How time is not just slipping away, it is sceaming by. The original name of the place was "The Organ Loft" Now the memories are really flooding my little brain. I wonder where that organ wound up. I hope it is still playing somewhere.

[@jameshebert5430]

Glad to see that there's still a pizza place with a pipe organ. My heart sank years ago when Pizza and Pipes in Tacoma, WA burnt down. I remember the last song played, My Heart Will Go On from Titanic.😞

[@Nossaki]

I really appreciate the sounds that organ makes. This idea is so different, I liked it especially because an attitude like that can turn this kind of music more popular. Such an amazing organ!

[@lalabyhannatm472]

I remember eating there as a child and thinking it was so magical lol

[@ottolehmann5286]

My school chapel has an organ which is the building so basically the chapel is just an organ with a roof it’s massive the whole thing vibrates and to get up to the chapel balcony you walk through the chapel it’s atleast 30 times bigger than this organ

[@michsims670]

that sounds awesome! what school is that? tnx

[@ottolehmann5286]

mich sims Stowe school

[@michsims670]

@@ottolehmann5286 that marble hall is AMAZING!! www.schoolreportonline.com/independent-school-news/music-the-source-of-love-at-stowe/

[@victrolacsm5143]

Largest “Wurlitzer” Organ

[@paintpink7300]

I think one of the best things about seeing any live music is that you can feel it in your body. This place is pretty awesome. The low notes just rumble inside. Like how you feel during the opening of Phantom of the Opera. I haven't been in a while but I never heard a song suggestion that the organist couldn't play. Definitely not the best pizza but worth it. After watching this channel and seeing across the world stories it is pretty cool to see a story of a place I am currently sitting less than two miles from.

[@logan_nosal458]

This is something you have to experience to truly understand how amazing it is. Best restaurant I've ever went to!

[@angelsone-five7912]

You`re doing a great job, don`t change anything. What you have is fantastic, long may it remain so.

[@deeess8712]

Awwwww yay they finally did one on Organ Stop😊😊😊😊 we love it there!!!

[@chrissonnenschein6634]

That chain of pizza parlors in western America was literally called “Pizza & Pipes”... Some at least, became Shakeys later.. My father and some of his friends worked on and repaired some of the organs in Wa, Id, Or & Nv... Too bad we never made it that far south back then!

[@capricebellefleur]

When I saw the table layout I immediately thought of Shakey's.

[@yvonneruby1311]

There was one in Los Angeles, too... Used to go there in the 60-70’s !! Pipes & Pizza

[@philrutledge]

Our favorite Pizza & Pipes was the one in Bellevue, WA. The one in Tacoma (before the fire) was fine, just not as big. We knew a couple of the regular organists.

[@dannyalvarezdrums]

We visited the organ stop pizza on. The weekend... it blow our minds how incredible the organist plays that massive thing..! We requested a few Disney songs and he played them flawlessly..!

[@kikivolauvent1]

This just made my Sunday!!! How totally wonderful.

[@rediponto9588]

The title is mislieading. It's the largest Wurlitzer organ, not the largest organ Edit: It's good that they've corrected the title

[@mavaega-ua-oo-i-nuuausala]

💯

[@VATS93]

The title and description both clearly state the world's largest Wurlitzer organ. Try reading slower maybe that will help

[@rediponto9588]

@@VATS93 They just edited it, the Wurlitzer part wasn't there until recently

[@pugmahone9439]

Thought maybe you were going to tell us you had the largest male organ 😂

[@LarcR]

It's not even the world's largest Wurlitzer now. That honor goes to the 99 rank (and growing) behemoth installed and playing in the Carma Labs (makers of Carmex) warehouse in Franklin, WI.

[@donnamczesty921]

This would be on my bucket list in the future . Pizza my favourite and to see and feel this beautiful work of art , and eat PIZZA . DARN TOOTING . Good Health to all. Let's be safe out there EVERYONE

[@alcanales4050]

When we lived in Tucson ('91 to '04), this place was the "Must Go To" when we had visitors and they always enjoyed the trip and experience! There were many times when we'd just go on our own for the fun of it.

[@cgdb1606]

This is true when I went to organ stop pizza the organ has so much power all the music is going throughout your body

[@bngripzz3669]

I’ve been here one time ever and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in a restaurant. I remember how excited I was when they played the song I requested(Imperial March from Star Wars)

[@astick5249]

you'd think the world's largest organ would have bigger pipes.

[@anniesong951]

This organ is largest theatre pipe organ in world. The actual largest pipe organ is in Boardwalk hall in New Jersey. :)

[@astick5249]

@@anniesong951 Cool

[@mrmaniac3]

That’s the wrong sense of scale. A giant pipe that’s 64 feet long is just going to shake the building and produce a very low noise.

[@jonaheaster7920]

upstairs the pipes are maybe 2ft in diameter and go to the ceiling. absolutely massive! they feel like a punch to the chest when played. I used to stand in front of them as a kid. the whole building is a part of the organ, and it is all just too big to capture on camera

[@astick5249]

@@jonaheaster7920 That sounds awesome!

[@chrislong5416]

Is this still around? As an old organist, I would love to hear this in person. I ask because I may be near there next year and if it still survives, I will consider it a 'must see'.

[@G-Manfromhalflife]

It is

[@jackraves7363]

great to see and hear you again 👍 🎹

[@lucky-em]

Me and my family would go there to celebrate an old family friends birthday all the time for as long as I can remember. She passed away years ago when I was a teen and I miss her dearly since me and my siblings saw her/treated her like she was another Grandma to us. So many memories from this place and I'm hoping this restaurant stays strong for years to come. ❤️

[@johnwagner409]

Fabulous. It is my understanding that part of the pipe organ at the Elm Skating Rink in Elmhurst, Illinois was added to this organ after the Elm closed. I hope this is true. My husband and I skated at the Elm numbers of times in the 1960's and the organ music played by Tony Tahlman was absolutely wonderful. Cheryl Wagner

[@Al8101]

Glad you are still around! Went to one in Lansing or Grand Rapids When I was 10.

[@athomson7394]

Remember the music palace in Cincinnati area. Pizza, beer & great organ music. Treasure the memory.

[@michaelt.wardlespider2496]

If I ever take another cross country drive this place will be a destination... As long as I can remember I've wanted to see/hear/experience a Wurlitzer organ in all its grandeur.

[@FixedFace]

after a few beers that music would get me hyped up 😂

[@GlirpGerp]

I been here a bunch of times, love this little place in arizona. Love how amazing the pizza is and just how it's local and fun to go to!

[@marklo4416]

i can't believe i live in phoenix, az for over 30 years and NEVER heard of this place??? I am going this week to check it out!!! Looks cool.

[@lordcat1958]

Bro I went here once as a school trip in like 6th grade It’s so surreal that it’s on great big story now lollll

[@benjaminrush7264]

been there a few times it truly is magical you can go up and make requests also something cool is that on the sides of the resturants are big large boards with lots of numbers you get a number when you order you get a number corrisponding with the board and when it lights up your food is ready! also i went there during the frozen hype so imagine this organ playing let it go while a bunch of little kids were screaming the lyrics its actually the first video on my phone funny enough.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

That organ is so cool! Nice pizza shop

[@genghis7248]

I’ve been there. It is really cool and the music is amazing.

[@CrossOfBayonne]

Song is In The Mood by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra

[@DavidBustamanteda-bu-sa]

As a person in my twenties, I think some pizza businessperson needs to bring to concept back.

[@PeteKowalsky]

I had a birthday at Pizza And Pipes in Michigan (Troy? Rochester? I cant remember - I was like 8 LOL) in the late 70's, and it was amazing and completely unforgettable. MAN I miss these places - SO cool! :) Cheese and Keys are perfect together. The instrument in this video is incredible though - WOW. Y'all are doing important work out there in Mesa - keep it up! 😁

[@daveotuwa5596]

The organ is played somewhere other than a chapel or ballpark. It is a dining experience folks in the desert state have that sometimes sounds like a wedding. NOBODY GETS MARRIED THERE.🌵

[@mylifeisJDM]

Love this. Must visit for sure.

[@SokeyDokey]

My family used to take me to Pizza n Pipes in Daly City, Ca, when I was a kid. It was such an amazing place. The organ seemed so huge to me! It was fun to eat our pizza dinner there and even a little bit scary. After pizza, if we were being extra good, we’d go next door to Farrell’s and get a banana split. 😋 Those were the good ole days. I miss ‘em.

[@ronhooverafollowerofjesus7297]

My all-time favorite place to go!

[@thewhomphlew]

I grew up with Pizza and Pipes in Tacoma, it burned down in the 90's but had the same concept, pizza and pipes. Might be worth a trip to Arizona.

[@Rhett-Christopher]

In Ellenton, FL there was this same pizza and organ restaurant + it looked practically identical inside to this place in Arizona. The place was called "The Roaring 20's". It went out of business around 10 years ago or so and became a library. The pizza there wasn't that great but we went to hear the organ. And the organist never played my request "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", the nerve of him! Lol.

[@mixitrecording5677]

Before that organ existed in FL, it was installed at Paramount Music Palace in Indianapolis, where my grandfather took me on Friday nights for pizza and music. I got to see and hear it again in Ellenton before it was dismantled. Such a magnificent instrument! I hope it finds new life in suitable venue.

[@BrutishYetDelightful]

Roaring 20s in East Lansing was much like this. The pizza had a beer crust and those old-school Italian black olives - the kind you have to soak in water for a bit to cut the salt. I last ate there in 1979 - the guy ended up playing Star Wars a couple of times a night, along with Michigan State's fight song. It was absolutely fantastic. One night somebody requested the theme from WKRP and the guy knocked it right out. If I'm ever in Mesa, I will seek this place out.

[@brianwilson6403]

I only went to Roaring 20's one time back in the day. The pie wasn't too bad, and the ambience a lot of fun. I think there was also one in Grand Rapids.

[@rorr4753]

True man. It's special.

[@horacerumpole7629]

Loved that place...in the early seventies it was on 7th st...great pizza and the likes of Lyn Larsen, Lew Williams and Walt Strony at the console!!

[@tracyjones8396]

Been there several times. Love that place!

[@Vnachi8]

I grew up with a place like this in CT called Pizza, Pipes and Pandemonium. Used to love walking through the pipes.

[@DevilWay]

I went there when I was a little kid and it was amazing now I need to take my kids there now

[@Ron_Radliff]

We went to a local Pizza and Pipes many years ago. The organist was playing the usual popular crap you hear on the radio. I dropped a 20 in his tip jar and asked him to play Rhapsody In Blue. His face lit up like a kid in a candy store and he played the whole song all the way through. It's a shame that it's gone now.

[@Rouverius]

I remember going to a place like this as a kid. I think it was near Atlanta and called "Music Grinder Pizza." They played old short silent movies with the organ accompaniment. I can't remember what the pizza tasted like. I think I spent most of my time trying to figure out how they got the organ to play things like drums and strings.

[@bborgan7611]

Been there. It's awesome!

[@shastaaguilar4111]

All this place needs is some rollerskating.

[@mrmaniac3]

Ok genius, you wrote a comment debunking the myth behind this being the largest organ in the world, pat yourself on the back xd

[@vito_keys]

This organ is the ancestor of the so-called "arranger workstation" keyboards made by Yamaha and Korg which is popular in Asia and Europe

[@Spidermannfr]

I really liked this place def gonna come again it was so fun!

[@pugmahone9439]

This place looks amazing , it would be worth the trip to Arizona just to visit this restaurant. Must take years of practice to fully know how to play that incredible organ 👍

[@romancorey6796]

When I was a little kid, we went to this location a few times. The food isn’t great, but the entertainment is amazing.

[@ozwzrd]

Shakey's Pizza employed some great tenor and classical banjo players for decades. A lot of shared repertoire between band organs and banjos. In fact, Wurlitzer instruments made banjos and guitars.

[@garinhash]

growing up in the 80's there was a place like kinda like this in Hayward CA called "Ye Olde Pizza Joynt", it was amazing, this place has the same feel only more modern.

[@raymondhoelscher9307]

Yeah it is a bygone ERA but, IT IS ALSO SIMPLICITY what we need more of nowdays.....THE WURLITZER ORGAN!!

[@julianbonser6091]

I went there in 1994 - great experience. We could do with some organ pizza parlours here in the UK.

[@hyperturttle7574]

I was there on a work trip for another organ company and ate there. it was amazing!

[@andreweden9405]

We used to have one of these here in Indiana (Indianapolis to be precise) when I was a kid. It was called the Paramount Music Palace, and of course, it closed down decades ago. I actually just did a little online research, and apparently the current whereabouts of the old "Mighty Wurlitzer" are unknown! It's just interesting to me how an instrument the literal size of a 5-story building can end up missing! I'll never forget my childhood times there. I've always liked classical organ music only, so my "song" requests would invariably be Bach, Widor, etc. Needless to say, old Bill Vlasak would never play a single one of my requests... not once... EVER! He'd strictly stick to his Pops repertoire.😃🤣

[@personwhotalkstomuch4898]

Here in the OK there are 2 similar organs, although they are not as large. 1 is in Blackpool at the Tower Ballroom and the other 1 is in Norfolk at Thursford, which is a steam fair museum. Also local to where I live is the Kinema in the Woods cinema where they still have a theatre organ, although not a Worlitzer.

[@melanieperez1699]

I work there and Brett is the nicest guy ever.

[@WeslarWaven]

I play there after hours when Brett lets me, but he's such a nice guy

[@melanieperez1699]

@@WeslarWaven thanks for giving me something to listen to while closing haha

[@NEMO-ts4nh]

In 6th grade we went here for a field trip and it was amazing

[@DevilWay]

Same lol

[@apeksmatney8336]

Used to be at Roaring 20’s in Ellington, Florida. They transferred it and was way more amazing in 2009 and now people are saying it’s new, when it’s not.

[@JonasClark]

Yes, there were over 150 of these places at various times, beginning with California's "Ye Olde Pizza Joynt," which added an organ in 1962. Three remain: this, plus Organ Piper in Greenfield, Wisconsin, and the Lansing, Illinois location of Beggars Pizza (organ unfortunately not played every day). A lot of these places had pizza that was mediocre or worse. Organ Stop, I can say from personal experience, has delicious pizza. And yes, it's now the largest theatre organ ever assembled. The largest from the heyday of organs in theatres was Radio City Music Hall's Wurlitzer. With a few recent additions, Organ Stop bested the former record holder, the Sanfilippo Organ outside Chicago (which is still no less magnificent and has a replica of the most ornate console Wurlitzer ever built, from Chicago's ill-fated Paradise Theatre).

[@Casey5693]

I have to see this some day.

[@JustADioWhosAHeroForFun]

Imagine playing Giorno's theme on this

[@Alita759]

Now imagine Playing Jolyne’s theme on this

[@Aftermath779]

Feels like a Pizza Time Theatre but better.

[@vince1845]

i didn't quite get that but ok

[@jamestafiltafish5282]

seshe get what?

[@vince1845]

@@jamestafiltafish5282 about the organs...

[@kutter_ttl6786]

It's one of those trends that reached thd peak of their popularity in the 70s and 80s. Pizza parlors were being touted as a family friendly experience so not surprisingly these large halls full of diners were noisy so the organ was one of the few instruments loud enough for one person to be able to entertain everyone. It was one of those fads that had its time. Interestingly enough, these pizza and pipe places were also the original inspiration for Chuck E. Cheese.

[@vince1845]

@@kutter_ttl6786 oooooo

[@jdvk7243]

Beautiful

[@MultiverseKing.]

I know the guy personally that plays the complicated organ for the MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR Brother Unsworth. Use to be my youth leader.

[@bandgeekforlife406]

I live about a mile and a half(ish) away from Organ Stop :D (and it's right next to my pharmacy :P ) My family didn't go there terribly often when I was a kid- only 5 or 6 times over the course of 15 years, maybe. There were a few Little League Baseball end-of-season parties held there- which was fun! I still consider OSP to be a staple of my childhood

[@AGEx559]

Use to go to one these in Fresno,CA back in the late 80’s

[@eugenievanzyl]

We are coming back to you guys very soon! Dec 23

[@lemakomehappy349]

Me: *see’s title* Me: *eh,might as well give it a shot*

[@KillJoy_Since2017]

Amazing

[@polish_filipino]

Manager: We might not have the best pizza in the world. But at least we have the biggest Organ in the world

[@JohnForddragracer]

It is GREAT!!

[@georgehanna2384]

Who else saw organ and was like wtf

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Eh? The largest organ is the one in Atlantic City. The second largest and largest fully operational organ is the Wanamaker organ in Macy's in Philadelphia. Who says the Organ Stop organ is the largest?

[@JimBobJoeB0b]

James Neave largest whirlitzer. Title is misleading.

[@bobroose2345]

a theater organ is not just a pipe organ One large organ is the Aolean-Skinner in St Johns Cathedral in New York City with 121 ranks of pipes. However it is not a Theater Organ

[@TheMunkzilla1]

They clearly said the world's largest Wurlitzer not just organ. The brand is different than the others.

[@LarcR]

This should probably just be called a theatre pipe organ since there are doubtless ranks of pipes in it that weren't manufactured by Wurlitzer. In fact, it isn't even the largest theatre pipe organ anymore. There is one, also with the Wurlitzer logo on it, at Carma Labs (maker of Carmex lip balm) in Franklin, Wisconsin, that has 90 sets of pipes as opposed to 82 on this one.

[@MostlyPennyCat]

The Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ is the largest and loudest instrument ever constructed. This organ's a 4 manual 82 rank. The boardwalk's a 7 manual 449 rank. So far they've counted 33,112 pipes but officially it's 'unknown' It has the only 64' stop and the world's loudest, at 138dbA. That's gunshot loud. At that size 'theatre' and 'classical' lose all meaning, it's every organ stop ever made to play music loud enough to fill a room in which they had the world's first indoor helicopter flight. It seats 14,770 people.

[@BATTLEPRO1]

What is the name of the music played at the very beginning of the video?

[@afflecone7967]

I've been there. It was awesome. Pizza was pretty good too.

[@paulconrad7649]

When I was in high school we had Organ Power Pizza in San Diego. We’d go there every Friday night after the football games. It was the best ever. You could give the guy requests. I gave him Stairway to Heaven one time and he played it.

[@acidflesh]

So Pizza and Pipes. This is pretty much Pizza and Pipes isn't it?

[@maxandrocco]

Shoutout to Mesa!

[@sebastianrolland259]

Awesome

[@aaronholst1561]

holy crap i was literally there a couple of years back with my grandpa and didn't even know it was the largest one

[@JenniJewell]

I wonder when this shop started because back in the 70s and 80s there was Pizza and Pipes.

[@puregaming3976]

I just went last night!

[@watchdealer11]

Best I can do is this booger and a clump of Chumlee's ear wax. I'm taking a big risk here.

[@chakpuia]

Wrong channel

[@bearcattony00]

Cincinnati once had the Springdale Music Palace just like this one. Sadly Wurlitzer was destroyed in a fire back in 1991.

[@exilemike]

We had one of those organs in Indianapolis at Paramount Pizza Palace

[@NOMADdaf]

There are several of these around the country. Most are pizza joints. There was a huge one in Indianapolis and a smaller vesion on Kokomo ind. The console looked exactly the same. in both.

[@MacGyverS2000]

As a kid, when I visited relatives in Indianapolis, it was a major treat to go there... Paramount Music Palace. Sadly, shortly after I was finally able to travel "on my own", so to speak, they shuttered the place :-(

[@spiritualswag3153]

I must visit one day.

[@Icemanfreezer7]

I want the pizza delivery theme, from the PS2 Spiderman game, to be played on this organ

[@sairentokira4632]

In the Philippines we have organ made of bamboo

[@qdp03]

hey I never knew this was only like 15 minutes from me :D

[@lysmichelle9998]

I had my eighth birthday here I didn’t even realize that it had the worlds largest organ