The Iconic Southern City That Will Host America's Tallest Indoor Christmas Tree This Season

Although New York is an ultimate destination for December travel thanks to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the iconic decoration comes in at just 74 feet tall in 2024. In the Galleria Dallas, a shopping mall in the northern part of the Texan city with over 200 stores, you'll find America's largest indoor Christmas tree standing at 95 feet tall. Admittedly, the magnificent tree in Dallas isn't live, but that doesn't make it any less impressive.

It takes about 50 people working over five days to put together the massive tree in the center of the mall's skating rink. The tree is constructed on a steel frame and elaborately decorated with more than 200,000 lights and festive ornaments. The massive tree will be turned on during lighting ceremonies at noon on November 29 and November 30 of this year to celebrate the start of the Christmas season. The ceremony includes performances by Olympic figure skating champions and indoor fireworks; it's a beloved annual tradition, which features a backflipping, ice-skating Santa. If you miss the lighting ceremony, the tree will be on display through January 6. Every day, there are four elaborate synchronized light and music shows between the hours of 12 and 6 p.m.

You can view this staggeringly tall Christmas tree for free from all four floors of Galleria Dallas or take a spin around it on the ice skating rink. Prices for public skating start at $13, and rental skates are an extra $5. The rink is open year-round, but it's an extra special festive experience during the holidays when the tree is up.

To see even more outstanding ice skating, the Grand Holiday Ice Show featuring U.S. champion figure skaters is on December 8. You can even get a private pod and watch the show with an included brunch. It's a great family-friendly experience. Other popular holiday activities at Galleria Dallas include Santaland, where you can take a virtual train journey to the North Pole to chat with Kris Kringle. SNOWDAY is an enchanting, immersive exhibit where visitors are transported to a winter wonderland with plenty of places to take photos.

Depending on traffic, Galleria Dallas is about a 20-minute drive from the crowded Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, where you might have to walk over two miles to reach your gate. But if you're visiting Dallas for the holiday season, we bet you'll find it worth dealing with any airport crowds to get to see the Christmas tree at Galleria Dallas. For more holidy-themed activities outside of the U.S., consider doing a tour of the best Christmas markets in Europe this winter.