Madison Square Garden

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Lore & Background

Madison Square is formed by the intersection of 5th Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in Manhattan. It was named after James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. Two venues called Madison Square Garden were located just northeast of the square, the original Garden from 1879 to 1890, and the second Garden from 1890 to 1925. The first, leased to P. T. Barnum, was demolished in 1890 because of a leaky roof and dangerous balconies that had collapsed, resulting in deaths. The second was designed by noted architect Stanford White. The new building was built by a syndicate that included J. P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, P. T. Barnum, Darius Mills, James Stillman and W. W. Astor. White gave them a Beaux-Arts structure with a Moorish feel, including a minaret-like tower modeled after Giralda, the bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville, soaring 32 stories, the city's second-tallest building at the time and dominating Madison Square Park. It was 200 by 425 feet, and the main hall, which was the largest in the world, measured 200 by 350 feet with permanent seating for 8,000 people and floor space for thousands more. It had a 1,200-seat theater, a concert hall with a capacity of 1,500, the largest restaurant in the city, and a roof garden cabaret. The building cost $3 million. Madison Square Garden II was unsuccessful like the first Garden, and the New York Life Insurance Company, which held the mortgage on it, decided to tear it down in 1925 to make way for a new headquarters building, which would become the landmark Cass Gilbert-designed New York Life Building. A third Madison Square Garden opened in a new location, on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets, from 1925 to 1968. Groundbreaking on the third Madison Square Garden took place on January 9, 1925. Designed by the noted theater architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was built at a cost of $4.75 million in 249 days by boxing promoter Tex Rickard; the arena was dubbed 'The House That Tex Built'. The arena was 200 by 375 feet, with seating on three levels, and a maximum capacity of 18,496 spectators for boxing. It notably hosted a 20,000 person rally in 1939 of the German American Bund, a Nazi organization founded in the United States with covert guidance and financial backing from the Reich. Demolition commenced in 1968 after the opening of the current Garden, and was completed in early 1969. The site is

In Their Own Story

The source does not describe any specific atmosphere, sensory details, or matches at Madison Square Garden involving NJPW or Antonio Inoki. It provides no account of the air, smells, lighting, or any particular bout. The source focuses on the arena's construction history, renovations, and tenants.

Reader's Guide

Madison Square Garden is a multi-purpose arena hosting professional ice hockey, professional basketball, boxing, mixed martial arts, concerts, ice shows, circuses, professional wrestling, and other events. It is located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd streets, atop Pennsylvania Station. The arena is home to the New York Rangers (NHL) and New York Knicks (NBA). It was home to the New York Liberty (WNBA) from 1997 to 2017. The Garden opened on February 11, 1968, and underwent major renovations in 1991 and 2013. It is the oldest major sporting facility in the New York metropolitan area, the oldest arena in the NBA, and the second-oldest in the NHL after Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.

Did You Know?

• The current Madison Square Garden is the fourth venue to bear the name; 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, whose demolition spurred the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
• The arena has enjoyed tax-free status since the 1980s, under the condition that all Knicks and Rangers home games must be hosted at MSG.
• In 1984, the four streets immediately surrounding the Garden were designated as Joe Louis Plaza, honoring boxer Joe Louis.
• The 1991 renovation cost $200 million and replaced hundreds of upper-tier seats with 89 luxury suites.