World War II ushered in an era of simple and patriotic designs, including red, white and blue unlit globes and painted wooden stars. In 1942, no materials essential to the war effort were used to decorate the Center and instead of one large tree, three more modest trees were raised. From 1942 until the end of the war, the Tree went unlit each year due to black-out regulations.

The middle tree was 50 feet tall, from Huntington, New York. The two additional trees stood at 30 feet tall.