On Location: Rockefeller Center

Nothing kicks off the holidays quite like the lighting of America’s most famous evergreen—the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

The tradition goes back all the way to the 1930s, when workers at the Rock Center construction site set up their own tree on Christmas Eve. By 1933 it was an annual tradition. Since that first 20-foot tree, each year’s celebration has gotten bigger and bigger, with concerts drawing pop’s biggest stars and thousands of fans (plus more watching on TV) to gather round to watch the official lighting of the 80-foot tree.

Home Alone 2 (1992)

This iconic piece of New York tradition has been captured in films like 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, where little Kevin McCallister heads by himself to visit the world’s most iconic Christmas tree. See it for yourself through January 6. And to learn about more iconic New York City film location, look out for On Location NYC: New York City’s Top 100 Film and TV Locations, coming soon from Museyon Guides.