Madison Square Garden III

Lore & Background

Groundbreaking on the third Madison Square Garden took place on January 9, 1925. Designed by theater architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was built at the cost of $4.75 million in 349 days by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who assembled backers he called his '600 millionaires' to fund the project. The new arena was dubbed 'The House That Tex Built.' In contrast to the ornate towers of Stanford White's second Garden, the exterior of MSG III was a simple box. Its most distinctive feature was the ornate marquee above the main entrance, with seemingly endless abbreviations. The arena opened on December 15, 1925, was 200 feet by 375 feet, with seating on three levels, and a maximum capacity of 18,496 spectators for boxing. It had poor sight lines, especially for hockey, and poor ventilation and allowed smoking often caused haze in the upper portions. MSG III was managed by Rickard, John S. Hammond, William F. Carey, General John Reed Kilpatrick, Ned Irish and Irving Mitchell Felt.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Third Garden was thick with cigar smoke and anticipation. The lights flickered slightly above the polished hardwood, casting long shadows from the ornate columns that lined the concourse. A young guard dribbled the ball near the baseline, hearing the rhythmic clapping of a thousand fans echoing off the high vaulted ceiling. It wasn't just a game; it was a performance in New York's grandest theater. As he drove to the hoop, the roar of the crowd surged like a physical wave, drowning out the referee's whistle. In this hallowed space, every layup felt historic, every defensive stop a testament to the city's unyielding spirit.

Reader's Guide

The New York Knicks debuted at MSG III in 1946. Due to other event bookings, all their home games during the 1951, 1952 and 1953 NBA Finals were played at the 69th Regiment Armory; thus MSG III never hosted an NBA Finals game. MSG III hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1954, 1955 and 1968. The New York Rangers played at MSG III, winning three Stanley Cups between 1928 and 1940. The New York Americans also played at the Garden until 1942. Boxing was MSG III's principal claim to fame; the largest crowd at any of the Gardens was 23,190 for a 1941 welterweight title fight. The arena hosted the Six Days of New York cycling event from 1925 until 1961, the National Invitation Tournament annually from 1938, and seven NCAA men's basketball championship finals between 1943 and 1950. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus debuted at the third Garden in 1926 and performed each spring.

Did You Know?

• The first professional basketball game at MSG III was played on December 6, 1925, nine days before the arena officially opened, pitting the Original Celtics against the Washington Palace Five.
• On February 28, 1940, MSG III hosted the first televised basketball games in a Fordham-Pitt and Georgetown-NYU doubleheader.
• On May 17, 1963, Bruno Sammartino defeated 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds at MSG III to become the second ever WWWF World Heavyweight Champion.
• The New York Rovers, a farm team of the Rangers, played at the Garden on Sunday afternoons, and the fourth floor had a second sheet of ice used for public skating and as the Rangers' practice facility.