Visit Madison Square Garden in New York: tickets, prices, opening hours

Are you looking for original things to do during your stay in New York? Visit Madison Square Garden, the most legendary entertainment venue on the U.S. East Coast!

Located in the heart of Manhattan’s 7th Avenue district, Madison Square Garden is a five-storey venue that can hold up to 20,000 spectators, but it is first and foremost one of New York’s premier sports venues.

Commonly known as the MSG, this venue regularly hosts games by the Knicks men’s basketball team and the Rangers ice hockey team. You can also enjoy concerts by some of the world’s greatest artists, including the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Beyoncé. Madison Square Garden, also known as The Garden, is a multi-purpose venue and can host events ranging from the circus to theater to politics.

To help you organize your stay in New York and make the most of your visit to this legendary venue, we’ve put together this mini-guide with all the information you need, including opening times, how to get there and prices!

History of Madison Square Garden in New York

Photo Credit: Flickr – Miguel Mendez

The current Madison Square Garden venue, located on 7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets and backing onto Pennsylvania Station, was inaugurated on February 11, 1968. Historically, four different enclosures made up the MSG. The location has evolved between 26th and 50th Streets, but The Garden has always been on the west side of Manhattan.

The first stadium was built in 1879, on the northeast corner of Madison square, on Madison Avenue and 26th Street. The stadium’s name is a reference to this first venue. In 1890, the building was demolished to make way for a new 8,000-seat structure on the same site.

A few years later, on December 15, 1925, a new venue bearing the same name opened its doors on the corner of 50th Street and 8th Avenue, welcoming more than 15,000 spectators for shows and sporting events. All three former venues have now disappeared. Today’s Madison Square Garden is managed by Cablevision, a Long Island-based cable company that owns the image rights to all its events.

In the past, the MSG was known to all boxing fans and was considered the Mecca of boxing. All the great boxers fought in its ring, including Rocky Marciano and Mike Tyson. The most memorable sporting event to take place within its walls was undoubtedly the famous $5 million « Fight of the Century » between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in March 1971.

Although today the most important boxing fights take place in Las Vegas casinos, Madison Square Garden hosts over 320 events a year. The venue’s configuration allows for different set-ups depending on the type of event, with seating capacities ranging from 18,000 to 20,000. This versatile venue hosts some of the world’s most talked-about shows, such as the NBA All-Star Game Finals in 2015 and Elton John’s 70th show in 2019. The Garden also houses a cinema, theater, restaurant and meeting rooms.

What to see and do at Madison Square Garden in New York?

Photo Credit: Flickr – Diana Robinson

On our daily Madison Square Garden All Access Tours, you can go behind the scenes of this extraordinary venue and discover its history and anecdotes.

The tour is in English and lasts approximately 1h15. Your guide will lead you around Madison Square Garden, sharing its 130-year history and most famous events, and take you inside its VIP Club Bar & Grill, private suites, trophy room and team locker rooms.

If you visit Madison Square Garden, you’ll have the chance to enter the dressing rooms of the Knicks men’s basketball team, the Liberty women’s basketball team and the Rangers men’s ice hockey team. You’ll also see the theater, a major performance venue, and the Arena, where the athletes play their games.

To feel the real energy of Madison Square Garden, you can choose to attend a sporting event or a concert.

How to get to Madison Square Garden in New York?

If you’d like to visit Madison Square Garden, you’ll need to know that the venue is easily accessible, as it’s located right in the heart of Manhattan. The round building is located above Pennsylvania Station, on 7th Avenue at 31st and 33rd Streets. It’s the ideal place to catch a concert or a sports match.

There are several ways to get there:

• On foot
• By bike: you can rent a city bike, Citi Bike, to get from one part of the city to another. More than 330 self-service stations are available throughout New York.
• By subway: Take lines A, C, E, 1, 2 or 3 and get off at 34 St-Penn Station. Madison Square Garden is just a short subway ride away. You can also take the B, D, F, M, N, R, Q, V or W lines to get off at 34 St-Herald Square. Walk northwest to 7th Avenue. The stadium will be right in front of you.
• By bus: Bus routes M7, M20 and M34 drop you off right next to Madison Square Garden.

Opening hours and prices of Madison Square Garden in New York

Photo Credit: Flickr – Bari D

SCHEDULES

Guided tours take place every day, Monday to Sunday, from 9:30 am to 3 pm. On Knicks game days, tours only run between 12:15 and 3pm.

Tours depart every half-hour and last around 75 minutes.

RATES

To visit Madison Square Garden, you can buy Madison Square Garden All Access Tour tickets on the day at the Chase Square Team Store or at the MSG box office in the MSG lobby. The entrance is on 7th Avenue. Tours are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability.

You can also buy your tickets in advance online or by phone.

Prices for guided tours vary according to age:

• Children 12 and under: $28
• Student: $28
• Adult: $33
• Seniors aged 65 and over: $28

A visit to Madison Square Garden is included in the New York Pass, New York Explorer Pass, New York FreeStyle Pass and New York Sightseeing Flex Pass. Simply present your pass at the entrance.

To reserve your tickets for NBA games, go to the New York Liberty Knicks tickets page.

For ice hockey, visit the New York Rangers ticket booking page.