Know Before You Go: Visiting Rockefeller Center at Christmas

For many New Yorkers, the holidays haven’t truly arrived until the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony. While the storied tree makes its grand entrance at Rockefeller Center in mid-November, it’s not illuminated until the Wednesday after Thanksgiving (either at the very end of November or the beginning of December, depending on the year).

Live musical performances generally kick off early in the evening (and have included icons like Andrea Bocelli in the past). Then, the tree itself is usually illuminated around 10pm and screened live on NBC to millions more viewers around the world.

Insider tip: If you want to see the Christmas tree lighting in person, arrive early—we’re talking hours before the official start time, ideally by 3 or 4pm. Not only does the event typically attract close to a million in-person spectators, but many roads are blocked off to contain the crowds. Our advice: Secure your spot early on—and stay there.

Getting to Rockefeller Center in time to see the Christmas tree lighting ceremony is one thing, but ensuring you’ve got a clear line of sight is quite another. Many insiders recommend staking out a spot on the center’s famed Channel Gardens, which are ornamented with glittering displays and offer a clear line of sight to the tree.

However, you’ll need to arrive very early to snag a perch in this in-demand area. If you don’t feel like battling the crowds at street level, consider an alternative approach: Book tickets to a private gala dinner at Rockefeller Center, which offers unimpeded views of the festive ceremony below.

Insider tip: While Top of the Rock—the Rockefeller Center’s popular rooftop observation area—might seem like the ideal lofty vantage point to watch the lighting ceremony, it unfortunately doesn’t offer views of the tree. It’s best to visit this attraction at another time if you’re hoping to spot the tree lighting.

If you’re attending Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony in person, then be sure to wrap up warm, especially if you arrive early to secure a prime vantage point. In late November and early December, temperatures in New York can drop down to 30°F (-1°C). Use this as an opportunity to get cozy and show off your snuggliest winter coats, scarves, and hats.

You’ll want to wear extra-warm shoes and several layers of socks to keep your tootsies toasty, and it’s not a bad idea to stow hand warmers in your pockets (or warm up with a well-timed cup of hot chocolate from Café Grumpy).

After its post-Thanksgiving illumination, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree stands tall for more than a month, typically until the first week of January (although the specific date changes from year to year).

That should give you ample time to stop by and admire it on a private tour of New York’s top Christmas attractions. Note that the tree is lit up from early in the morning until midnight every day throughout the holiday season, except on Christmas Day (when it’s illuminated for 24 hours) and on New Year’s Eve (when its lights are turned off early, generally around 9pm).

Insider tip: As one of New York’s most in-demand holiday attractions, Rockefeller Center gets busy, especially on weekends, close to Christmas, and once the sun sets. To beat the crowds, visit early in the season, aim for a weekday, and consider visiting while it’s still light out (or late at night).

The Rink—Rockefeller Center’s beloved ice-skating rink—is an unmissable New York attraction (little wonder it’s been immortalized in festive movies including Elf), and it looks especially beautiful when reflecting the glow of the center’s Christmas lights and angel displays.

While the Christmas tree is only around for a month, the Rink opens in late October and doesn’t close until March. Even better, its daily opening hours extend from morning until late in the evening, so you’ve got ample opportunity to fit in a skating session. If you want to avoid waiting in a long line, however, be sure to book well in advance during the peak holiday season. If you can’t get enough of skating through Manhattan’s ice rinks, head to the Wollman Rink at Central Park, too.

Insider tip: Not too confident in your skating abilities? You don’t need to have Kristi Yamaguchi–level skills to hit the ice. The Rink hosts a group Skate School on Saturday mornings, and you can also book private skating lessons.

Parking in New York City is always tricky business, and given the influx of visitors who descend on Rockefeller Center for the annual Christmas tree lighting, it can be especially complicated on the big day.

Rockefeller Center maintains its own parking garage at 53 West 48th Street, which can be pre-booked in advance. And numerous other parking garages are available in the surrounding blocks. However, demand means spaces may be at a premium. This is why you may be better off hopping in a cab (or taking the B, D, F, or M subway lines to 47th-50th Sts-Rockefeller Center stop).

If you’re looking for a taste of all of New York’s most festive offerings in one day, there’s good news: Many of the city’s most noteworthy department store window displays are within blocks of Rockefeller Center. The windows are typically on display from around Thanksgiving until early January. Hop just across Fifth Avenue, and you’ll find Saks Fifth Avenue, venture several blocks north to Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s, and head down to Herald Square to visit Macy’s. To make navigating those crowd-packed streets of last-minute shoppers even easier, see all the glittering finery on a holiday lights walking tour of Midtown Manhattan.

If the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and the department store windows of Fifth Avenue are two of New York’s festive essentials, then the third in the trifecta is the Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular, hosted every year at Radio City Music Hall.

Held from mid-November until the beginning of January, shows run four or five times a day, including family-friendly matinees as well as evening showtimes. The emblematic event bursts with holiday-ready costumes, music, comedy, and the Rockettes’ signature high kicks. Book tickets online well in advance—you can even see the show on Christmas Day.

Everything you need to know about Christmas at Rockefeller Center.

• Where does the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center come from? The origin of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree changes every year, but traditionally, the tree is a mature Norway spruce near the end of its life. In recent years, the trees have come from upstate New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and other locations in the Mid-Atlantic region.

• How many lights are on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree? The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is decorated with a staggering 50,000 multi-colored LED bulbs—that’s more than 5 miles (8 kilometers) of lights.

• When was the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree? The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been a local tradition for more than eight decades. The very first tree went up in 1931 and was purchased by Rockefeller Center workers. Back then, it was only 20 feet (6 meters) high. Today, it reaches close to 100 feet (31 meters) on average.

• Do they pay for the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree? No. Although the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was purchased early in its history, today, the tree is donated every year, typically by private owners whose trees are good candidates for the ceremony.