National Christmas Tree Arrives at Capitol After Trip From Minnesota

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

The National Christmas Tree arrived in the District today and was set up on the West Front of the Capitol building. Video from NBC Washington shows a crane lifting the tree off a flatbed truck.

The 88-foot-tall white spruce was trucked more than 2,800 miles from Minnesota’s Chippewa National Forest, zigzagging across the eastern half of the country to make more than 20 stops at schools, hospitals and city halls, the tree’s official website says.

A good National Christmas Tree is hard to find, Capitol Grounds Superintendent Ted Bechtol told NBC.

“It was the best of all the candidates in terms of the overall form. I’m looking for something with a nice conical shape,” he said. “It’s got to really look terrific from all sides. You can’t stuff it back in the corner next to the sofa.”

The tree will be lit for the first time at a ceremony Tuesday, Dec. 2. Then, it will be illuminated from dusk until 11 p.m. daily through Jan. 1.