Overview & visitor information
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is the focal point of Midtown's holiday season. A large spruce rises above the Rink at Center Plaza, covered with tens of thousands of multicolored LED lights and crowned by a Swarovski star. Its ceremonial lighting is broadcast nationally and draws a substantial street audience.
The tradition began during Rockefeller Center's construction, when workers placed a small decorated tree on the site in 1931. Rockefeller Center made the display annual in 1933, and the tree has since become inseparable from the architecture, public art and winter crowds of the complex around 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
The display extends well beyond the lighting night, remaining illuminated through the holiday period as the plaza continues its regular skating and public program. After the season, the tree's timber is donated to Habitat for Humanity for use in home building, giving the temporary installation a continuing material life.
