Madison Square Garden

Lore & Background

The Garden hosts professional ice hockey, professional basketball, boxing, mixed martial arts, concerts, ice shows, circuses, professional wrestling, and other forms of sports and entertainment. It is close to other Midtown Manhattan landmarks, including the Empire State Building, Koreatown, and Macy's at Herald Square. The arena is currently home to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and was home to the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2017. Originally called Madison Square Garden Center, the Garden opened on February 11, 1968, on the site of the old Pennsylvania Station. It is the oldest major sporting facility in the New York metropolitan area. It is the oldest arena in the NBA and the second-oldest in the NHL, after Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena. As of 2016, MSG is also the second-busiest music arena in the world in terms of ticket sales. Including its two major renovations in 1991 and 2013, the Garden's total construction cost was approximately US$1.1 billion, and it has been ranked as one of the ten most expensive arena venues ever built. The edifice is part of the Pennsylvania Plaza office and retail complex, named for the railway station.

In Their Own Story

On December 17, 2010, the atmosphere inside Madison Square Garden was electric as ESPN aired its first NBA game in three dimensions. LeBron James and Chris Bosh made their debut in Miami uniforms at this venue, drawing nearly 7.1 million viewers for a previous matchup against Dallas that set a tone for the season's high stakes. In this specific contest against the Knicks, the Heat continued their dominant run from the players-only meeting held after a loss to Dallas on November 27. The team limited opponents under 100 points throughout their streak, and at MSG, they secured a crucial victory that kept them moving toward the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed. This win was part of a sequence where the Heat matched their previous season's total wins by March 18, eventually clinching the division on April 3.

Reader's Guide

The Garden is located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, extending from 31st to 33rd streets, atop Pennsylvania Station. It is accessible via Penn Station and is close to landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Koreatown, and Macy's at Herald Square. The venue opened on February 11, 1968, and has undergone major renovations in 1991 and 2013.

Did You Know?

• The Garden is the oldest arena in the NBA and the second-oldest in the NHL, after Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.
• As of 2016, MSG is the second-busiest music arena in the world in terms of ticket sales.
• The current Garden is the fourth venue to bear the name 'Madison Square Garden'; the first two were located in Madison Square, and the third was at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street.
• The Garden opened on February 11, 1968, on the site of the old Pennsylvania Station.