Everything To Know About the 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Learn where this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree comes from, how tall it is, who donated it, and what happens to it when it's taken down.
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The world's most famous Christmas tree has been chosen — and it's a beauty.
Each year, for more than three decades, Rockefeller Center's head gardener Erik Pauze has been the person with the honor of scouting and selecting the tree that will grace the Midtown Manhattan plaza and serve as the backdrop for countless photos throughout the holiday season.
Pauze picked the 2025 tree after a Rockefeller Center security supervisor showed him a photo of one that the gardiner deemed just right, and then visited the property's owners. “As soon as I saw it, I knew it was perfect,” Pauze told The Center Magazine, Rockefeller Center's online publication.
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Where is the 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree from?
This year's tree hails from East Greenbush in Rensselaer County, New York, a suburb of Albany that's about 150 miles north of Rockefeller Center. The evergreen conifer, estimated to be about 75 years old, has sat on the property owned by the Russ family for more than 60 years. “I’m excited to make more cherished memories with my family and childhood friends as it becomes the world’s Christmas tree,” Judy Russ, who lives in family home, told The Center Magazine.
Read on to learn more about this year's tree, including how tall it is and what happens to it after the holiday season.
How tall is the 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree?
The Norway spruce that will tower over Rockefeller Center visitors this year stands 75-feet-tall. That's a foot taller than last year's tree. The 2025 tree is 45 feet in diameter.
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When will the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrive in New York City?
The tree is set to arrive in Midtown Manhattan on November 8, after being cut down on November 6. Once it's raised into place in Rockefeller Center, it'll be decorated with 50,000 LED lights and topped with a 900-pound Swarovski star, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018. The star features more than 3 million crystals covering 70 spikes.
When will the 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree be lit?
This year's tree will be lit in the usual extravagant fashion on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 during Christmas in Rockefeller Center, a special airing live from New York City at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Country music star Reba McEntire, who can be seen on Happy's Place and The Voice, will host and perform on the special.
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What happens to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree once it's taken down?
After spending weeks delighting locals and tourists alike, good use will be made of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree even after the holiday season is over and it's taken down. The lumber from the tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and used in the construction of homes across the country, according to The Center Magazine.
“Every tree we select not only brings joy to New Yorkers during the holiday season, but it also continues to give back long after it leaves Rockefeller Center," Pauze told the magazine. "Knowing it will help build homes for families makes the process even more meaningful.”
