The 76-foot Norway spruce is expected to arrive Saturday following its journey from a yard in West Edmeston, New York.

7 hours ago

Updated: November 6, 2026, 5:37 pm ESTPublished: November 6, 2026, 1:14 pm EST

Iconic Rockefeller Christmas tree cut down and sent to New York City

This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was cut down on Thursday and will be trucked to New York City to usher in the holiday season.

The 76-foot Norway spruce is expected to arrive Saturday following its journey from a yard in West Edmeston, New York. The conifer is approximately 75 years old and measures 50 feet in diameter.

A crane hoisted the tree onto a flatbed truck before it began the 200-mile trip to its perch at Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where it will overlook the center's iconic skating rink.

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huge christmas tree hoisted by crane — This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, a 76-foot tall, 11-ton Norway Spruce, that has been wrapped for transport, is craned onto a flatbed truck, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in West Edmeston, N.Y. The wrapped tree will be brought into New York City and raised into place at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, Nov. 7.
(Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for Tishman Speyer)

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Then the tree will be wrapped with more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights and crowned with a 900-pound Swarovski star. It will be lit during a televised ceremony on Dec. 2.

The tradition dates back to 1931, when crews building Rockefeller Center put up a small Christmas tree with handmade garlands. The first formal lighting ceremony took place in 1933.

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The Rockefeller Christmas tree will be on display until Jan. 9, after which it will be milled into lumber for the housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.

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