The star is 10 feet tall, weighs 550 lbs and has 25,000 crystals. The star used on the current trees was made of Swarovski crystal.There are over 30,000 lights on the tree (about 5 miles of strands!).The tree is only decorated with lights and a star.It is a donation and considered an honor to have your tree as the official Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. There is no monetary compensation offered for the tree if yours is selected.A helicopter flies over New Jersey and Connecticut to scour the area for potential candidates.Because this tree doesn’t typically grow to this size in the New York area, most of the trees are cultivated in peoples’ yards. The tallest Rockefeller Tree in history was in 1999: 100 feet tall!.The tree must be at least 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide, but the preferred height is usually between 75 and 90 feet tall and proportionally wide.(A great history of Rockefeller Center can be found here.) Remember, 1931 was a year in the midst of the Great Depression in America.īut if all the workers could get hold of were tin cans, they were not going to let any obstacle prevent them from celebrating Christmas. This first tree was just 20 feet tall and was decorated with paper garlands, cranberries, and even a few tin cans. It is also streamed live from NBC and other live stream sources.Īlthough the first official Rockefeller Tree was lit in 1933, the very first Christmas tree at the center was erected by the construction workers who were building Rockefeller Center in 1931. If you can't make the lighting in person, it is broadcast on TV live on NBC (local channel 4) from 7 pm - 9 pm.See our post on Where to Store Luggage in New York City There are many places where you can store your bags for a few hours. Security: no umbrellas, backpacks or large bags are allowed into the event.Street closures for vehicles between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and 48th to 51st Streets begin at 3 pm that day, so taking mass transit is advised.Aim to get there by 3 pm, and no later than 4 pm or you may not be able to find a spot to see the tree.

The celebration is open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If seeing the performers is a priority you should aim to get there by 12 pm or earlier.

To be able to see the performers you must be in the first few rows of people along the north, south, and east perimeters of the rink.

This area is not open to the general public. In the photo below, you can see people on the lower level, standing near the stage, lit in red.

Download switch the first tree