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Visiting the Rockefeller Christmas tree? COVID-19 rules mean you may need a stopwatch

Dawson White
·3 min read

Visitors to the iconic Rockefeller Christmas tree in New York City will have to contend with some new rules.

The 88th Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit on Wednesday, Dec. 2. But as the coronavirus pandemic would have it, the ceremony — which typically draws a large crowd — will be closed to the public.

Instead, it will be televised on NBC at 9:45 p.m. Eastern time.

The tree at Center Plaza in Midtown will be open to visitors through early January, but the viewing process will look a little different than in years past.

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Rockefeller Center will use virtual queuing technology to help manage crowds and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Visitors can scan QR codes placed around the center to secure their place in the queue when lines are long, the center said online.

When it comes time to see the tree, visitors must enter through entrances located on 49th and 50th streets and 5th and 6th avenues.

There will be social distancing markers on the ground in front of the tree that accommodate up to four people each. More than four people in a party? They’ll have to split up.

Once visitors arrive at their social distancing marker, they’ll have to be quick: They have only five minutes to take it all in and snap photos before they must move along.

Visitors are required to wear masks at all times, and officers with the New York Police Department will be on hand to ensure visitors stay at least six feet away from other groups, the center said.

The 75-foot Norway spruce was the subject of much scrutiny when it arrived at Rockefeller Center on Nov. 14. Many poked fun on social media, calling it a fitting symbol for the difficult year that’s been 2020.

The tree also made news when a stowaway was discovered in its branches: an adult Saw-whet owl since named Rocky (short for Rockefeller), NBC reported. Officials said Rocky made the 170-mile trip with the tree from upstate New York to the Big Apple.

Rocky hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for days when she was discovered and spent several days getting treatment at a rehabilitation facility, according to the outlet. She was released back into the wild last week.