This article will provide you with everything you need to know about Madison Square Garden. This arena in New York City’s Midtown neighborhood is one of the city’s most famous venues.
This article will help make your trip to this venue less stressful and more exciting by providing details on how to get there, where to pick up tickets, upcoming events, little-known facts about the venue’s history, and more.
And with that, let’s get going!
What is the Madison Square Garden?
Madison Square Garden, also known as “ the Garden” or “MSG, is a multi-purpose arena. It is located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It has been a center for sports and entertainment for well over half a century.
This famous arena is used mostly for professional ice hockey and basketball. This arena is also used for boxing, MMA, and other entertainment as well.
The main hall of the arena is 200 feet by 450 feet, which makes it the largest hall in the world. The capacity of this arena is 8,000 people. It has a theater with 1200 seats and a music hall with a capacity of 1500 people.
The total cost to build this arena was $1.19 billion in 2020.
A Brief History of the Madison Square Garden
There were actually two different locations that used the name “Madison Square Garden.” Both the old garden, which existed from 1879 to 1890, and the second garden, which existed from 1890 to 1925, could be found close to the northeast of the square.
On February 11, 1968, the doors to the present arena first opened. James Madison Arena was given its name in honor of the fourth President of the United States.
Around 1960, after automaker, Graham-Paige bought a 40% share, a new arena was constructed here. The arena was the first of its kind to be constructed on top of a working train station. Robert E. McKee of El Paso, Texas, built this impressive feat of engineering.
This arena has enjoyed its tax-free status since 1980 with the agreement to host Knicks and Rangers home games.
Everything You Need to Know About the Madison Square Garden
If you’re planning to visit this arena, then it is always a good idea to learn more about what MSG has to offer and how you may make the most out of your visit to The Garden by improving your knowledge on these topics. So let’s start:
Depending on where you’re coming from, you can get to Madison Square Garden via bus, train, cab, or even foot. Nearby Penn Station provides easy access to the arena through the 1, 2, 3, A, C, and E underground lines. New Jersey Transit and Long Island Railroad both provide train service. From 34th Street/Herald Square, you can walk the short-distance subway lines as well.
You can visit this arena any time of the year as it hosts over 320 events in a year. To get the tickets you can check out vendors like Ticketmaster and StubHub. Another option is you can visit their office and collect your ticket on your own.
The Empire State Building, Macy’s, Herald Square, and Koreatown are all within comfortable traveling distance of the stadium. It is recommended that you walk about the area rather than taking the Downtown Tour bus.
This arena is a very ideal place if you’re a sports fan. The shows are hosted in this arena daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and doors open 1 hour before the event. Before visiting this arena, you must check out the banned list on their website so you can get well-prepared and enjoy the event without any hassle.
The number of available seats at the Madison Square Garden venue is up to 20,789 people.
Over the years, this arena has hosted many historical shows. It hosted John Lennon’s final concert on Thanksgiving Night, 1974, before his murder in 1980, as well as Elvis Presley’s first and last ever performances in New York City in 1972. In 1988, Michael Jackson held his “Bad World Tour” there and also hosted George Harrison’s “The Concert for Bangladesh.”
The Madison Square Garden Main Functions And Events
The Madison Square Garden arena is utilized for a wide range of sporting events, musical concerts, and other types of shows all through the calendar year.
The arena is the oldest in the whole National Hockey League and the second-oldest in the history of the National Basketball Association. It is also ranked 2nd in ticket sales right after London’s O2 arena.
Once upon a time, Elton John held the record for the most concerts performed at Madison Square Garden with 64 shows. He stated Madison Square Garden is my favorite arena in the world,” in 2009.
Billy Jowl broke his record later. He performed 134 times here as of 2023.
WWE has hosted many events here including the 10th WrestleMania, and the 20th WrestleMania. It also hosted Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam as well.
This arena is home to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. So both of the sporting event’s home matches happen here.
As for Mixed Martial Arts, the UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor took place at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2016. This is the promotion’s debut in New York City.
Conclusion
Whether you’re planning a tour to New York then you must visit Madison Square Garden, and before that read this article about Madison Square Garden: Everything you need to know. If you’re visiting Madison Square Garden specifically to see an event, this article can help.
Hopefully, you’ll find this article helpful.
