The Rockefeller Center tree arrives from West Edmeston

The 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrived at the plaza on November 7, initiating the winter seasonal preparations in the heart of New York. This year's selection is a 76-foot Norway spruce that was raised on a private property in West Edmeston. The rural community sits directly on the border of Otsego and Madison counties in upstate New York, where the spruce stood undisturbed for decades before being selected for the city plaza.

The long journey to midtown began when crews cut the tree down on November 5. From West Edmeston, the Norway spruce traveled nearly 200 miles overland to make its scheduled entrance into the plaza two days later. According to Rockefeller Center, the specimen is about 75 years old, reaches roughly 50 feet in diameter across its lowest branches, and weighs approximately 11 tons.

Selecting the tree

The process of finding the right evergreen is led by head gardener Erik Pauze, who has helped choose the tree for more than three decades. Over his many years in the role, Pauze has evaluated candidate trees across various communities. According to Rockefeller Center, he looks for a tree you would want in your living room, but on a grander scale.

The property in West Edmeston provided just such a specimen, meeting the physical criteria required for such a large public setting. After growing for three quarters of a century along the Otsego and Madison county line, the spruce had attained the balance, height, and wide branch spread needed to anchor the plaza for the winter season.

Adorning the spruce

Now that the tree has been set in place, work begins to prepare it for display. The Norway spruce will carry more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights strung along about five miles of electrical wire. Crews will spend the coming weeks threading the strands through the boughs to ensure the entire 76-foot frame is covered evenly.

At the peak of the tree, workers will place a tree star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018. The Libeskind star is a substantial architectural feature, weighing about 900 pounds and displaying 70 distinct spikes. The entire arrangement will be illuminated for the first time during the formal lighting ceremony on Wednesday, December 2.

Display and lumber donation

Following the December ceremony, the illuminated tree will remain on view for visitors through the heart of winter. The tree stays up until January 9, 2027, standing watch over the plaza during the colder weeks. Its presence arrives alongside another milestone, as this year also marks 90 years of skating at Rockefeller Center, uniting two long-standing winter plaza traditions.

When the holiday installation officially closes in January, the spruce will serve a practical community role rather than simply being discarded. Afterward, it will be milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity. The resulting wood from the 11-ton evergreen will go directly toward building projects, concluding the tree's journey that began in upstate New York.