Visit the backstage of Madison Square Garden in New York
Madison Square Garden is the most famous multi-purpose arena in New York. A venue used for sports, concerts, and countless events.
Booking Madison Square Garden Tour
What You Need to Know About Madison Square Garden
- Madison Square Garden is New York’s most famous sports and entertainment venue. It opened in 1968 and holds nearly 21,000 people. For comparison, Paris-Bercy seats 20,300.
- Madison Square Garden sits above Penn Station on 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets. The building takes its name from the original Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1879 on Madison Square Park and no longer exists.
- Madison Square Garden is best known as home to the New York Knicks, New York’s NBA basketball team. The Garden also hosts the New York Rangers, the city’s ice hockey team. Both teams are owned by the same company that owns the venue.
- The Garden regularly hosts concerts, boxing and wrestling matches, political conventions, and other major events. In total, the venue hosts more than 320 events per year. Elton John holds the record for most concerts here, with 64 performances.
How to Visit Madison Square Garden
- To explore the history and stories of this iconic venue, you can take the Madison Square Garden All Access Tour, the official guided tour. Tours are conducted in English and last about 1 hour 15 minutes. You’ll see the main arena and behind-the-scenes areas. Tours depart every 30 minutes from 9:30 am to 3 pm.
- To book your tour, visit the Madison Square Garden tour reservation page. Select your date and number of guests, then complete secure payment. You’ll receive a voucher to print or save on your phone. Once there, you can either go directly to the ticket window and join the next available tour if space permits, or schedule a tour for later that day or a future date. If you want to avoid waiting and guarantee immediate entry, arrive at 9 am.
- Your voucher is valid for one year from the purchase date. You can visit anytime during your stay, even if your original chosen date doesn’t match when you actually want to go. If you need to cancel your New York trip, you can cancel your tour without penalty by notifying us at least 24 hours before the date on your voucher. Contact us through our form to do so.
- Tip: Madison Square Garden is included with the New York Pass and the New York Explorer Pass. Just show your pass at the entrance.
How to See a Sports Event
If the behind-the-scenes tour inspires you to return for a live game, you can. Keep in mind that New York Knicks and New York Rangers games often sell out, so book your tickets well in advance.
- To book tickets for NBA games, visit the page for New York Knicks tickets.
- For ice hockey, go to the New York Rangers tickets page.
