We went to NYC’s Rockefeller Center, home to the most iconic skating rink in America, and discovered why it’s such an iconic holiday activity

• The Rink at Rockefeller Center is a New York icon. More than a quarter of a million people skate on it each year.
• The Rink first opened 83 years ago on Christmas Day to attract people to Rockefeller Center’s sunken plaza.
• It’s not the biggest or the smoothest rink in New York, according to several Trip Advisor reviews. Yet it’s the one people seem to flock to every holiday season.
• We went to Rockefeller Center on a Sunday in December to find out why.
• We found that at Rockefeller Center, the Christmas spirit was infectious. Its location on Fifth Ave puts it at the heart of New York’s holiday attractions, and the stunning Rockefeller Center Christmas tree serves as a festive backdrop for December skaters.
• Here’s what it’s like to visit America’s iconic skating rink during the holiday season.
• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center opened on Christmas Day in 1936 to help bring people to the sunken section of Rockefeller Center during the Great Depression.

Source: The Washington Post, Rockefeller Center

Today, more than a quarter of a million people skate at the world-famous rink annually. The holiday season brings the largest crowds.

Source: PR Newswire

We went to Rockefeller Center on a Sunday in December. The holiday spirit was infectious.

Before we even got to the ice skating line, we came across a group of carolers singing on Fifth Ave.

As we got closer to the Rink, it was nearly impossible to tell which people were in line to skate and which were simply admiring the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

After slowly trudging along in this crowd, we finally saw the entrance sign for the Rink indicating that we were in line.

We stood in line behind Suzy Eunice and Alley Waldrop.

The couple said they were visiting New York from San Diego, and they hadn’t skated at Rockefeller Center before.

It’s pretty common for the line to be packed with first-timers. According to several Trip Advisor reviews, skating at this particular rink is a hot bucket-list item around the holidays.

Source: Trip Advisor

People say skating the iconic rink is something you “must do once.”

Source: Trip Advisor

Waldrop had an idea of why this experience is so coveted.

"The atmosphere feels very Christmassy," Waldrop said of Rockefeller Center.

And nothing at Rockefeller Center is more Christmassy than the enormous Christmas tree, which is one of New York's most prominent holiday attractions.

Source: Business Insider

The 2019 tree is 77 feet tall and wrapped in miles of lights. At the end of the holiday season, Rockefeller Center will donate the massive tree to Habitat for Humanity.

Source: Associated Press

Eunice and Waldrop said they didn't bother with long lines at other New York attractions, but they felt skating at Rockefeller Center was worth the wait.

After spending some time in line with eager skaters ...

... we headed to the VIP entrance to find some skaters that finished their session.

This is where we met the Bell family. They were visiting New York City from Florida. With prepaid VIP tickets, the Bell family spent an hour and a half in the rink, and they didn't have to wait in line.

The Bells said they had skated before, but not in the middle of New York City. "It's a lot colder than other rinks I've skated on, but it was still so much fun," 12-year-old Harper told Insider.

"You fall a lot but you don't really care," 12-year-old Juliana added.

According to Rockefeller Center, Olympians have skated on this rink. From first-timers to Olympic skaters, visitors say the Rink caters to everyone.

Source: Trip Advisor, Rockefeller Center

Skating the Rink at Rockefeller Center is the perfect holiday activity for seasoned skaters and anyone just trying to get in the holiday spirit. "It would be impossible for me to be more in the Christmas spirit than I was after 1.5 hours of ice skating beneath the iconic tree," a Trip Advisor reviewer said.

Source: Trip Advisor