Go Big or Go Home: Holiday Edition
Everything really is bigger during the holidays. From record-setting real trees to towering artificial displays, these US states know how to go big for Christmas.
#20 – Tennessee
At Anakeesta, a mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a massive 60-foot artificial tree lights up the Smoky Mountains. It’s the centerpiece of the Enchanted Winter celebration and visible from across the city, drawing thousands of visitors during the holiday season.
#19 – Michigan
Detroit’s Christmas spirit shines in Campus Martius Park with a dazzling 66-foot Norway spruce. The fresh-cut tree is festooned with over 20,000 LED lights and hundreds of ornaments, making it a major winter attraction for locals and tourists alike.
Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons
#18 – North Carolina
McAdenville, nicknamed “Christmas Town USA,” goes all out each year with a 60-foot tree in the center of town. While not the tallest, its charm and backdrop of over 375 lit trees throughout the village make it an iconic Christmas stop.
PreferredAperture, Wikimedia Commons
#17 – Indiana
Though not a traditional tree, Indianapolis transforms its 284-foot Soldiers and Sailors Monument into a giant “tree” with 52 strands of lights stretching from the top to the base. This glowing cone is considered one of the tallest Christmas light structures in the US.
US Embassy Canada, Wikimedia Commons
#16 – Texas
Texas shows off big time at the Dallas Galleria, where a 95-foot artificial tree towers over the ice skating rink. It's the tallest indoor Christmas tree in the country and a popular photo-op for holiday shoppers and skaters alike.
#15 – Colorado
Denver's Mile High Tree isn’t a real tree—it’s a 110-foot-tall cone-shaped light structure that people can walk inside. Set to music with synchronized LED displays, it offers an immersive holiday experience and has quickly become a favorite downtown tradition.
U.S. Space Force SBD1 by Tiana Williams, Wikimedia Commons
#14 – Georgia
Each year, Atlanta hosts a giant Christmas tree over 65 feet tall at Atlantic Station, surrounded by shops, markets, and festive lights. It anchors the city’s Christmas celebration and is one of the most visited trees in the Southeast.
#13 – Missouri
Branson’s Silver Dollar City theme park displays a high-tech 80-foot artificial tree loaded with special effects, music synchronization, and 350,000 lights. It anchors the "An Old Time Christmas" event, regularly ranked among the best holiday festivals in the US.
Jeremy Thompson, Wikimedia Commons
#12 – Arizona
In 2023, Arizona’s Outlets at Anthem near Phoenix unveiled a 65-foot LEGO-themed Christmas tree with over 250,000 bricks and lights. Though artificial and themed, it drew huge crowds and showed off the state’s creativity in holiday decor.
K e v i n from Coastal Georgia, USA, Wikimedia Commons
#11 – Washington
Seattle holds the historical record for the tallest cut Christmas tree ever displayed in the US—a 221-foot Douglas fir at Northgate Shopping Center in 1950. While not replicated since, it remains a legendary part of holiday history.
#10 – Florida
St Petersburg installed a 100-foot artificial Christmas tree on its new pier in recent years. This coastal icon is covered in vibrant lights and surrounded by holiday events, offering a sunny twist to the winter season.
Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
#9 – Pennsylvania
One of the state’s tallest living Christmas trees is found at Ringing Rocks Park near Allentown. Though not as polished as urban displays, its natural size and community lighting ceremony make it a heartfelt and towering tribute to the season.
#8 – Illinois
Each year, Chicago lights up Millennium Park with a new massive tree, typically around 60–65 feet tall. Paired with live performances and ice skating, it’s a Midwest holiday highlight drawing tens of thousands annually.
#7 – Idaho
Idaho boasts America’s tallest living Christmas tree at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Towering over 160 feet and decorated with tens of thousands of lights, it’s a glowing beacon by the water that can even be seen by boat.
T85cr1ft19m1n, Wikimedia Commons
#6 – California
Los Angeles gets flashy with a 115-foot fresh-cut tree at the Citadel Outlets, often billed as the tallest of its kind in California. It's decorated with thousands of lights and ornaments, and usually attracts national attention with its grand lighting ceremony.
Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles, CA, USA, Wikimedia Commons
#5 – South Dakota
Instead of one towering tree, South Dakota lights 96 themed trees inside the state capitol building’s rotunda. While none individually break records, the collective visual spectacle and dome display are unmatched for indoor holiday cheer.
Jake DeGroot, Wikimedia Commons
#4 – Louisiana
In 2023, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, transformed a 300-foot communications tower into a record-breaking Christmas tree display using thousands of lights. Though not a real tree, it’s been called the world’s tallest tree display and wowed locals and media alike.
Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons
#3 – Ohio
Cleveland’s Tower City Center lights up a 100-foot indoor tree, surrounded by classic decorations and winter festivities. The elegant display brings vintage department-store holiday vibes into a modern shopping space.
#2 – Oregon
Nicknamed “Portland’s Living Room,” this square hosts a giant fresh-cut tree each year, often topping 75 feet. The lighting ceremony features choirs, hot drinks, and family-friendly entertainment. It’s one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved holiday events.
#1 – New York
The most iconic Christmas tree in the world, New York’s Rockefeller Center tree stands around 75 to 80 feet tall and is decked out with over 50,000 LED lights and topped with a Swarovski star. It’s a must-see holiday tradition visited by millions.
Michael Vadon, Wikimedia Commons
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