Madison Square Garden

The wealthy came to Madison Square Garden to socialize and be seen. MSG  has morphed over the decades. The Garden is a venue for sports and concerts. It has appeared in television programs and movies.

The original Garden opened in 1879 and was the site for many boxing matches and track cycling.  Built in 1890, the second Garden included a roof garden, theater, and concert hall.  The Democratic National Convention was held in 1924. A third Garden was built at Penn Station in 1925. The NY Rangers and American hockey teams played there. Seven NCAA championship games were played there between 1943 and 1950, as well as the NBA All-Star Game in the mid-1950s. This Garden was razed and the land was a parking lot until 1989. A new Garden was built in 1968 above an active railroad system.

The present Garden hosts 320 events yearly. The New York Knicks and Rangers of the NHL call the Garden home. The Ringling Circus, WrestleMania and two Survivor Series events have been held there. John Lennon played his final concert here. Led Zepplin, Springsteen, Sinatra, Billy Joel, Elton John and Elvis Presley among other celebrities have played here as well. The Garden was the setting of President John Kennedy's 45th birthday party when Marilyn Monroe sang her infamous "Happy Birthday." Four Democratic Conventions were held there. A wedding blessing for 2075 couples was conducted by Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon in 1982. George Harrison held his concert for Bangladesh in 1971. The Garden has seen many famous events and will see many more in the future.