Madison Square Garden
The first Madison Square Garden opened on the 11th of February 1879. It stood on Madison Square at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway. P.T. Barnum leased this original venue to host his circus acts. A leaky roof caused a balcony collapse that resulted in deaths. This disaster forced the demolition of the building in 1890.
A second structure rose from 1890 to 1925. Architect Stanford White designed this Beaux-Arts masterpiece with a minaret-like tower reaching 32 stories. J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie were part of the syndicate that funded it. The main hall held 8,000 permanent seats plus thousands more on the floor. New York Life Insurance Company tore down the second Garden in 1925 to build their headquarters.
The third iteration opened between 49th and 50th Streets on Eighth Avenue in 1925. Boxing promoter Tex Rickard built this arena for $4.75 million in just 249 days. It became known as The House That Tex Built. Groundbreaking occurred on the 9th of January 1925. This version hosted boxing matches and concerts until its demolition began in 1968.
the 11th of February 1968 marked the opening of the current Madison Square Garden. This venue sits directly above active railroad platforms at Pennsylvania Station. Robert E. McKee of El Paso, Texas constructed the engineering feat. Leonel Viera contributed design elements from his Cilindro Municipal project.
The site required tearing down the above-ground portions of the original Pennsylvania Station. Public outcry over losing the Beaux-Arts architecture led to the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Yale architectural historian Vincent Scully described the difference by saying one entered the old station like a god but scuttles in now like a rat.
Graham-Paige purchased a 40% interest in the Madison Square Garden for $4 million in February 1959. Irving Mitchell Felt later gained control and bought rights to build at Penn Station in November 1960. The new structure was one of the first built above an active railroad station platform.
Garden owners spent $200 million on facilities in 1991. Ellerbe Becket designed this renovation which added 89 suites replacing hundreds of upper-tier seats. The project replaced all seats with new cushioned teal and violet options. A new ventilation system and expanded menus were also installed during this period.
A second major renovation costing $1 billion took place between 2011 and 2013. Construction occurred mainly during off-seasons to minimize disruptions to NHL and NBA schedules. Phase one completed lower bowl work in 2011 while phase two finished upper bowl construction in 2012. Phase three delivered a new lobby called Chase Square and updated scoreboards for the 2013-14 season.
The New York Liberty played home games at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey during these renovations. The arena remains the last NBA and NHL facility without a corporate sponsor name. Madison Concourse stays on the sixth floor while Garden Concourse moved to the eighth floor.
Madison Square Garden serves as home to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. It also houses the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association. Before 2020, both teams shared ownership with the Madison Square Garden Company itself. The MSG Company split into two entities that year with James Dolan maintaining voting control over both.
Boxing history includes the Roberto Durán, Ken Buchanan affair and the first Muhammad Ali , Joe Frazier bout. Anthony Joshua made his US debut here before losing to Andy Ruiz. The original ring served for 82 years until retirement on the 19th of September 2007. A replacement ring began use October 6 of that same year.
Professional wrestling events include three WrestleMania editions held at this venue. WWE calls it their home office affectionately. The Royal Rumble occurred here in 2000 and 2008. SummerSlam took place in 1988, 1991, and 1998. Survivor Series happened in 1996, 2002, and 2011. New Japan Pro-Wrestling hosted G1 Supercard on the 6th of April 2019.
Billy Joel played his first Madison Square Garden show on the 14th of December 1978. He has performed there 150 times as of July 2024. This figure includes a residency starting in 2014 where he played nearly continuously for a decade. Joel became the arena's first music franchise in December 2013.
Led Zeppelin recorded a three-night stand in July 1973 as The Song Remains The Same film and album. Elton John once held the record with 64 appearances before Billy Joel surpassed him. Phish held thirteen nights called The Bakers' Dozen in summer 2017 playing 237 unique songs without repetition.
The Grateful Dead performed 53 times from the 7th of January 1979 to the 19th of October 1994. Their longest run occurred in September 1991. The Who headlined 32 times including four-night stands in 1974 and 1979. Six-night stands happened in 1996 while two more four-night events took place in 2000 and 2002.
Graduation ceremonies occur annually for New York City Police Academy, Baruch College/CUNY, and Yeshiva University. Grammy Awards were presented at this venue in 1972, 1997, 2003, and 2018. Latin Grammy Awards of 2006 also used this location.
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show ran every February since 1877 until moving in 2021 due to the pandemic. The event returned to Madison Square Garden in 2025 after a five-year absence. Jeopardy! Teen Tournament and Celebrity Jeopardy! episodes filmed here in 1999 alongside Wheel of Fortune taping in 1999 and 2013.
Manhattan Community Board 5 voted 36-0 against granting MSG's operating permit in perpetuity on the 15th of February 2013. They proposed a ten-year limit instead to allow building a new Penn Station where the arena currently stands. Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer
called moving the arena an important first step toward improving Penn Station.
New York City Council gave the Garden a ten-year operating permit by vote of 47-1 on the 24th of July 2013. Speaker Christine Quinn stated this was the first step in finding a new home for Madison Square Garden. Four architecture firms submitted proposals including SHoP Architects who recommended moving the venue to the Morgan Postal Facility.
On the 14th of September 2023, the New York City Council voted 48-0 to renew the operating permit for only five years. This represents the shortest ever granted by the city to the Garden. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority filed a report stating MSG is no longer compatible with Penn Station expansion plans.
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Common questions
When did the first Madison Square Garden open and what happened to it?
The first Madison Square Garden opened on the 11th of February 1879. A leaky roof caused a balcony collapse that resulted in deaths, forcing the demolition of the building in 1890.
Who designed the second Madison Square Garden and when was it demolished?
Architect Stanford White designed the second Madison Square Garden which stood from 1890 to 1925. New York Life Insurance Company tore down the second Garden in 1925 to build their headquarters.
Where is the current Madison Square Garden located and who constructed it?
The current Madison Square Garden sits directly above active railroad platforms at Pennsylvania Station. Robert E. McKee of El Paso, Texas constructed this engineering feat between 49th and 50th Streets on Eighth Avenue.
Which sports teams play home games at Madison Square Garden today?
Madison Square Garden serves as home to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. It also houses the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association.
How many times has Billy Joel performed at Madison Square Garden as of July 2024?
Billy Joel has performed there 150 times as of July 2024. This figure includes a residency starting in 2014 where he played nearly continuously for a decade.
When did the New York City Council vote to renew the operating permit for Madison Square Garden in 2023?
On the 14th of September 2023, the New York City Council voted 48-0 to renew the operating permit for only five years. This represents the shortest ever granted by the city to the Garden.