Madison Square Garden

Looking for section numbers and the best seats by level? See the Madison Square Garden Seating Chart.

The Arena Above Penn Station

Madison Square Garden is the indoor arena at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, built directly on top of Penn Station. It is home to the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL), and it seats 19,812 for basketball, 18,006 for hockey and up to about 22,000 for concerts. For most buyers the short answer is simple: the lower 200 level is the best balance of view and value, and the sideline 100s are worth the premium only if being close matters more than seeing the whole floor.

The current building, opened on February 11, 1968, is the fourth arena to carry the name. Beyond the two pro teams, the calendar includes St. John's men's basketball, the Big East men's tournament, boxing, family shows and a steady run of major concert tours. Billy Joel played a monthly residency here from January 2014 to July 25, 2024, finishing with his 150th career show in the building.

How the Seating Bowl Is Stacked

The Garden is a round building, and its seating reads as a set of stacked rings rather than a long oval.

• 100 Level (the lower bowl, sections numbered in the 100s): runs to roughly row 22. Row 1 is not always the first row, because premium floor-level rows sit in front of some sections.
• 200 Level (the upper bowl, sections numbered in the 200s): rows start at 1 and climb to about row 25. This is where most fans sit and where prices are usually most accessible.
• Chase Bridges (300-numbered sections): two suspended walkways added in the 2011–2013 renovation, hung roughly 94 feet above the floor, with two rows of seats that look straight down onto the action.
• Blue Seats (400-numbered sections): a handful of short sections of about seven rows, set high on the sides.

The renovation, which cost about 1 billion, rebuilt the lower bowl in 2011, the upper bowl, suites and club in 2012–13, and the lobby, bridges and scoreboard in 2013–14. Seating charts from different sellers label premium areas differently, so read the section number on the listing rather than the marketing name.

Best Seats for Knicks, Rangers and Concerts

Knicks games

Sideline sections at center court in the 100 level put you close enough to hear the game. Corner 100s are a reasonable compromise, but the low rows of the baseline 100s are the weakest seats in the lower bowl: you look across the basket stanchion and lose depth on the far end. The better buy for many fans is rows 1–8 of a center-court 200 section, where you see plays develop and the scoreboard sits at eye level.

Rangers games

Hockey rewards height more than basketball does. Low rows behind the glass are exciting, but the boards and glass cut off the near side of the ice. Rows 10 and up in the 100 level, or the front of the 200 level, show passing lanes and line changes far better. End sections in the 200 level are a solid value for hockey, because rushes coming straight toward you are easy to read.

Concerts

Most tours use an end stage, which turns the sections directly behind it into either removed or limited-view seats. Side 100s and side 200s nearest the stage give the best mix of proximity and sightline. Floor tickets are general admission or reserved depending on the tour, and on a flat floor anyone under average height should expect to watch over heads. For in-the-round shows, every side becomes a front, and the 200 level gains value.

Views to Weigh Before You Buy

• The back of the 200 level is high. The top rows give a full view but little sense of the players; fans uneasy with heights should favor rows near the front.
• Chase Bridge seats are a novelty view. Looking straight down is memorable for one game, but it flattens the action, and some second-row seats lose part of the center-hung scoreboard to the roof structure.
• Blue Seats have character, not comfort. These sections are short and high. Seating guides advise avoiding their back rows, which can carry obstructions.
• Behind-the-stage concert seats are sold as limited view for a reason; buy them only if the listing describes the sightline.

Demand climbs for Knicks playoff runs, Rangers games against nearby rivals, Saturday nights and the holiday weeks. Midweek games against nonconference or less popular opponents are usually where resale prices soften. Every GoodSeats order is backed by a 100% guarantee.

Getting to the Garden by Rail and Subway

Few arenas anywhere are easier to reach by train. Penn Station sits directly below, with Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit trains arriving under the building. The 34th Street–Penn Station subway stops serve the A, C and E on Eighth Avenue and the 1, 2 and 3 on Seventh Avenue. PATH trains from Hoboken and Jersey City end at 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue, a two-block walk.

Driving is the slowest and most expensive option. There is no arena parking garage; the venue points guests to SpotHero, its listed parking app, for reserving space in nearby garages. Rideshare pickup after a sellout is congested, so walking a few blocks away from Seventh and Eighth Avenues before requesting a car saves time. Directions and current entrance maps are on the Madison Square Garden site.

Entry Rules, Bags and Tickets

As of fall 2026, the Garden's posted rules include the following. Check the venue's current policy before you go, because these change.

• Bags do not have to be clear, but they must fit under your seat; anything larger than 22 by 14 by 9 inches is refused, and every bag is x-rayed.
• No bag or coat check is offered, so a winter coat stays with you.
• Tickets are digital and should be downloaded to your phone before you arrive. Some artists run phone-free events using locked pouches, and those shows use printed tickets.
• No re-entry: once you leave, your night is over.
• Concessions are cashless, with a machine that converts cash to a debit card.
• Children under 2 can sit on a lap at most events, though some family shows require a ticket for anyone over 1.

Your ticket lists the entrance assigned to your section. Using it, instead of the nearest door, usually shortens the security line.

Four Gardens and Five Decades

The name predates the building by almost 90 years. Earlier Gardens operated from 1879 to 1890, 1890 to 1925 and 1925 to 1968. The 1968 arena rose on the site of the original Pennsylvania Station after the station's above-ground structure was torn down.

The Rangers, an Original Six club founded in 1926, have played at the Garden since their first season and won the Stanley Cup in 1928, 1933, 1940 and 1994. The Knicks, founded in 1946 as a charter member of the league that became the NBA, won titles in 1970, 1973 and 2026, the last ending a 53-year wait. The arena has hosted NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, All-Star Games and decades of title fights. The city renewed its operating permit for five years in 2023, which keeps the arena's long-term relationship with Penn Station an open civic debate.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Madison Square Garden
• Madison Square Garden – FAQs
• Madison Square Garden – Venue home
• Billy Joel – Final show of MSG residency announced
• Wikipedia – New York Rangers
• Wikipedia – New York Knicks
• ESPN – Knicks win the 2026 NBA Finals
• Wikipedia – 33rd Street station (PATH)
• From This Seat – Madison Square Garden seating chart breakdown
• Barry's Tickets – Knicks seating chart guide