Madison Square Garden seating guide
Madison Square Garden is the arena in Midtown Manhattan built directly on top of Penn Station. The current building, the fourth to carry the name, opened on 11 February 1968, and it has been the home of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers ever since. It is also one of the busiest concert arenas anywhere. The map above shows the basketball layout: click a section to open the view from that seat.
The Garden at a glance
The arena holds 19,812 for basketball and 18,006 for hockey. Between 2011 and 2013 it went through a renovation of about a billion dollars that rebuilt the concourses and the seating and added two walkways hung from the ceiling, the Chase Bridges, high above the court. The seating bowl sits several floors above street level: the lower bowl is on one floor, the upper bowl two floors higher, with suites and club spaces in between.
How the levels work
The basketball plan on this page has 230 sections, and every one has a 3D view. The first digit of the section number tells you the level.
- 100s, sections 101 to 120. The lower bowl, close to the court. Its first rows include club seats, and courtside seats sit in front of it.
- 200s, sections 201 to 227. The upper bowl, the largest part of the arena and where most fans sit. The renovation made it noticeably better for sightlines.
- 300s. The highest areas, including the Chase Bridges over the court and small balconies.
- 400s, sections 413 to 420. A short run of high rows at one end of the arena.
Courtside places, suites and lounges have their own letter codes on the plan.
Which seat to choose
For basketball
The lower sideline is the classic view, close enough to hear the game. In the upper bowl, the first rows on the sidelines often give the best value in the building, because they sit high enough to see plays develop without being far away. Corners at either level show both baskets at once.
For hockey
The Rangers play on the same bowl, but the ice is longer than the court, so the higher rows of the lower bowl and the front of the upper bowl are the safest way to follow the puck along the boards. This map shows the basketball layout; the stands themselves are the same.
For a concert
Most concerts put the stage at one end and use the floor for standing or seats. The sides of the 100s and 200s nearest the stage give the best mix of distance and angle; sections behind the stage are usually not sold. The bridges give an unusual view from above, but for a show it is a long way up.
Accessibility
The Garden has accessible seating, and its accessibility team helps with buying it and with arrangements on the day. There are accessible entrances, and elevators and escalators connect the levels, with wheelchair escorts available. Assistive listening devices and captioning are provided, and through a partnership with KultureCity the arena offers sensory bags and sensory rooms. Service animals are welcome. For anything specific, contact the arena’s accessibility services before the event.
How to get there
The address is 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, in Midtown. Public transport is by far the easiest option: the 34 St–Penn Station subway stations are served by the A, C and E and by the 1, 2 and 3 lines, and Penn Station underneath the arena has Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit trains. There is no dedicated car park, only garages in the surrounding blocks, and Midtown traffic before an event is slow.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people does Madison Square Garden hold?
- 19,812 for basketball and 18,006 for hockey. Concert capacity depends on the stage set-up.
- Who plays at Madison Square Garden?
- The New York Knicks of the NBA and the New York Rangers of the NHL, both since the current building opened in 1968.
- What are the Chase Bridges?
- Two walkways hung from the ceiling during the 2011-2013 renovation, high above the court, with a view straight down on the game.
- Which subway stops serve the Garden?
- 34 St-Penn Station, on the A, C and E lines and on the 1, 2 and 3 lines. Penn Station also has commuter and long-distance trains.
Seat views are interactive reconstructions of the venue. The real view can vary with the stage set-up and the exact seat, so treat them as a guide. Seat Seven is not affiliated with Madison Square Garden or any artist, promoter or ticket seller.