Madison Square Garden is a large indoor multipurpose stadium in New York City. It’s commonly referred to as simply the Garden, or MSG for short. The stadium forms part of the Pennsylvania Plaza in Midtown Manhattan. It’s widely regarded as among the world’s most famous stadiums.
The Garden is most well-known as the home of the city’s major sporting teams. However, the venue isn’t only for sports, as it’s also considered one of the busiest music arenas in the world in terms of yearly ticket sales. Attending any event at Madison Square Garden is considered one of the city’s top highlights.
The stadium has had 2 major renovations since it opened in 1968 and is one of the most expensive venues ever built. There is a smaller theater inside called Hulu, which hosts smaller stage shows and ceremonies throughout the year.
Madison Square Garden in New York - one of the highlights of 10 Places to Learn Something New in New York and 10 Best Sports Stadiums in New York (Read all about New York here)
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What are the highlights of Madison Square Garden?
The modern stadium has a capacity of up to 20,000 people for a sporting event or concert in the main arena. The tiered seating makes it best for viewing even from the very top rows.
The most iconic Madison Square Garden experience is to attend a sporting event at the arena. From boxing and wrestling to basketball and ice hockey, professional matches take place year-round depending on the sporting season. However, watching the New York Knicks of the NBA or the New York Rangers of the NHL are the 2 most popular sporting events at the Garden. The stadium is the home venue for both teams.
The Garden hosts high-profile musicians and concerts throughout the year. Some of the world’s greatest singers have performed at Madison Square Garden, including Elton John, Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, Madonna, U2 and Bruce Springsteen.
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History of Madison Square Garden
The Madison Square Garden stadium that is in its current location is the fourth venue to bear the same name. The original venue was built in 1879, northeast of the current location. It was demolished and moved a couple of times until the land between 31st and 33rd Streets and 7th and 8th Avenues was acquired for the new and current stadium in 1960.
The stadium was one of the first such buildings to be built on top of an active railroad station. It was an impressive engineering feat at the time that it opened in 1968. It’s the oldest major sporting complex in New York but has since undergone 2 major renovations to increase capacity and modernize the design.
The Garden has been the home of some of the most memorable sporting and music events in history. Some of these top events include the 'Fight of the Century' between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971, Frank Sinatra's 'Main Event' concert in 1974, the 1970 Knicks NBA Championship and the Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup Championship.
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What's good to know about Madison Square Garden?
Madison Square Garden is easy to reach, thanks to its convenient location in Midtown Manhattan. It’s built on top of a railroad station known as Penn Station, which means that the subway is by far the easiest way to reach the Garden unless you’re staying nearby.
If you're interested in a behind-the-scenes experience, there are tours available that must be pre-booked which take you behind the main arena and into the backstage rooms.
Madison Square Garden is surrounded by restaurants, shops, and hotels. You can easily combine an event at the stadium with dinner nearby or some shopping beforehand. However, there are several food and beverage places inside the stadium for your convenience during an event.
Within walking distance of the Garden, you have several major attractions like the Empire State Building, Madame Tussauds, and The Museum at FIT.
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Madison Square Garden in New York
Location: 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, USA
Phone: +1 212-465-6741
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