Macy's Great Tree
| Macy's Great Tree | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Lenox Square mall |
| Location(s) | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 33°50′45″N 84°21′43″W / 33.84591°N 84.36187°WCoordinates: 33°50′45″N 84°21′43″W / 33.84591°N 84.36187°W |
| Country | USA |
| Inaugurated | 1948 |
| Founder | Rich's Department Store |
The Rich's Great Tree, now the Macy's Great Tree (and briefly the The Great Tree at Macy's), was a large 70–90-foot (21–27 m) tall cut pine Christmas tree that had been an Atlanta tradition since 1948. As of 2013, the tree has been replaced by a much smaller artificial one in the parking lot, which was then moved back to the roof for 2014.
Beginning in 1948, the Rich's department store put a large pine tree atop its flagship downtown Atlanta store, lighting it on Thanksgiving night. The idea was conceived by head of advertising Frank Pallotta. Later, the tree was perched atop the four-story "Crystal Bridge" that connected the original Rich's department store with a new building addition on the opposite side of Forsyth Street. With the tree on the roof of the complex, combined with its tall height, the Great Tree could be seen for tens of miles outside the downtown district of Atlanta. It was visible for decades, until Rich's downtown store closed in mid-1991 and the tree was moved to a smaller, less-imposing spot in Underground Atlanta. From there it was later moved to Lenox Square mall, but neither location provided as spectacular a view of the tree as when it stood on the Crystal Bridge.
As the tree became an Atlanta tradition, more was added to the display to create an attraction in its own right. This included Santa's Workshop, complete with reindeer on loan from the Stone Mountain Park Petting Zoo that parents and children would walk through on the way to visit with Santa Claus. Also, inside the store, was "Santa's Secret Shop". Off-limits to the adults, children entered an enclosed mini shopping area. All of this "spirit of Christmas" started at the street level with animated window displays such as angels playing violins in the windows.
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Wikipedia