The Tree at Rockefeller Center

Click Here to submit your tree to be the next Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

The first Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center was a spindly balsam erected on the construction site in December, 1931. Two years later, the first “official” tree- a handsome specimen standing 50 feet tall- was unveiled in its famous spot in Rockefeller Plaza, and the lighting ceremony was broadcast nationwide over NBC Radio. The largest of Rockefeller Center’s trees was the 100-year-old, 100-foot-tall, ten-ton Norway Spruce erected in 1999.

The 75th tree marked the start of a new eco-friendly tradition in 2007. It was cut down with a two-person handsaw, and illuminated by 30,000 LEDs that used a fraction of the energy of normal bulbs. When the time came to take the tree down, Rockefeller Center partnered with Habitat for Humanity, which milled and treated it for future use as “green” lumber.

30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

Phone:
212-588-8601

Hours:
Daily 5:30am - 11:30pm

Website:
rockefellercenter.com/tour-and-explore/the-tree-at-rockefeller-center