Madison Square Garden

On our lists of the best live music venues and activities in New York.

This is the fourth arena to carry the Madison Square Garden name, following buildings on Madison Square Park in 1879 and 1891 and a third at 50th Street and 8th Avenue in 1925; the current building opened in February 1968 on top of Penn Station. Its circular shell wraps exterior LED lighting, and inside, a concave ceiling unique among arenas keeps sightlines open all the way to the top level. It's the home arena for the NBA's Knicks and the NHL's Rangers, and it also runs the Big East basketball tournament every year and hosts the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.