Early on Nelson Rockefeller contracted Diego Rivera to produce an interior mural for 30 Rock. Rivera's mural, "Man at the Crossroads Looking with Uncertainty but with Hope and High Vision to the Choosing of a Course Heading to a New and Better Future," was seen as a Marxist monument and immediately caused Nelson Rockefeller grief. But when someone pointed out a character in the mural that looked like Lenin, Rockefeller was so enraged that he fired Rivera and had the mural destroyed before the building was ever opened. Now "Man's Conquests" by Sert occupies that space.

In addition to the art, the Center grounds themselves are part of the attraction. There are the Channel Gardens, named so because they occupy a space between La Maison Francaise and the British Empire Building. In spring and summer enjoy outdoor dining in the sunken concourse. But in winter the concourse is transformed into the famous Rockefeller Center skating rink, watched over by "Prometheus" and New York's own Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.