Since the 1930s, a towering tree has appeared in Midtown Manhattan each winter, drawing crowds from around the world and signaling the unofficial start of the holiday season.
But long before it's lit in front of millions, each Rockefeller tree begins its journey elsewhere, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles to reach its famous perch above Rockefeller Center's skating rink.
Practically every tree since the tradition's inception has been a Norway spruce, though there have been a couple of white spruces and balsam firs over the years.
The tree is selected from candidates across the country, either through people submitting photos of their own trees or through the Rockefeller Center head gardener scouting potential picks in person.
Here's where the Rockefeller tree has come from over the past 100 years — see if your hometown has ever supplied the iconic tree.
1930s: Babylon, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1934.MCNY/Gottscho-Schleisner/Getty Images
Height (1934): 70 feet
1940s: Long Island, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1944.Matthew Peyton/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Height (1944): 65 feet
1950s: Belvidere, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1955.Morse Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Height (1955): 65 feet
1960s: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1966.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Height (1966): 64 feet
1970s: East Montpelier, Vermont
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1971.Walter Leporati/Getty Images
Height (1971): 65 feet
1980: Mahwah, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1980.Bettmann/Getty Images
Height: 70 feet
1981: West Danville, Vermont
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1981.Bettmann/Getty Images
Height: 65 feet
1982: Mahwah, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1982.Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Height: 70 feet
1983: Valley Cottage, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1983.R. Krubner/ClassicStock/Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
1984: Far Hills, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1984.Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
1985: Harveyville, Pennsylvania
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1985.Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
1986: Nanuet, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1986.Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Height: 68 feet
1987: Suffern, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1987.Walter Leporati/Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
1988: Raritan Township, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1988.RON J. HAVIV/AFP via Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
1989: Montebello, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1989.AP Photo/Ed Bailey
Height: 70 feet
1990: West Norwalk, Connecticut
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1990.Bill WASSMAN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
1991: Suffern, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1991.AP Photo/Ed Bailey
Height: 65 feet
1992: Stony Point, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1992.DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images
Height: 65 feet
1993: Nanuet, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1993.MARK PHILIPS/AFP via Getty Images
Height: 85 feet
1994: Ridgefield, Connecticut
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1994.BOB STRONG/AFP via Getty Images
Height: 85 feet
1995: Mendham Borough, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1995.ROBERT MILLER/AFP via Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
1996: Armonk, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1996.New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images
Height: 90 feet
1997: Stony Point, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1997.New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images
Height: 70 feet
1998: Richfield, Ohio
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1998.MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
1999: Killingworth, Connecticut
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 1999.New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images
Height: 100 feet
2000: Buchanan, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2000.Chris Hondros/Getty Images
Height: 80 feet
2001: Wayne, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2001.MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images
Height: 81 feet
2002: Bloomsbury, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2002.James Devaney/WireImage/Getty Images
Height: 76 feet
2003: Manchester, Connecticut
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2003.Scott Gries/Getty Images
Height: 79 feet
2004: Suffern, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2004.Mario Tama/Getty Images
Height: 71 feet
2005: Wayne, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2005.Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Height: 74 feet
2006: Ridgefield, Connecticut
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2006.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Height: 88 feet
2007: Shelton, Connecticut
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2007.NBC/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Height: 84 feet
2008: Hamilton Township, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2008.Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Height: 72 feet
2009: Easton, Connecticut
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2009.Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Height: 76 feet
2010: Mahopac, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2010.AFP/AFP via Getty Images
Height: 74 feet
2011: Mifflinville, Pennsylvania
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2011.NBC/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Height: 74 feet
2012: Flanders, New Jersey
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2012.Bennett Raglin/WireImage/Getty Images
Height: 80 feet
2013: Shelton, Connecticut
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2013.Paul Zimmerman/WireImage/Getty Images
Height: 76 feet
2014: Danville, Pennsylvania
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2014.Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Height: 85 feet
2015: Gardiner, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2015.Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Height: 78 feet
2016: Oneonta, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2016.Anadolu/Getty Images
Height: 94 feet
2017: State College, Pennsylvania
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2017.Eric Liebowitz/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
2018: Wallkill, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2018.Nicholas Hunt/WireImage/Getty Images
Height: 72 feet
2019: Florida, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2019.Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Height: 77 feet
2020: Oneonta, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2020.Heidi Gutman/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Height: 75 feet
2021: Elkton, Maryland
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2021.Ed JONES/AFP/Getty Images
Height: 79 feet
2022: Queensbury, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2022.KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images
Height: 82 feet
2023: Vestal, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2023.NBC/Scott Gries/NBC/Getty Images
Height: 80 feet
2024: West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2024.Scott Gries/NBC/Getty Images
Height: 74 feet
2025: East Greenbush, New York
The Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2025.Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Note: There may be some affiliate / associate links throughout the pages of this site. By buying through the links we may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price you pay.
Infobuxx: Your go-to source for the latest in entertainment, health, business, politics, sports, movies, economics, and trending news. Stay informed and entertained with updates that matter!
