The original Boston Garden was an extraordinary arena that offered sporting, musical, and political events. Built upon North Station in 1928 and opened under its designer Tex Rickard (boxing promoter), the Boston Garden hosted sports games, concerts, political rallies, and much more.
The Celtics reigned supreme at Boston Garden and earned numerous championships there. This intimate venue allowed players to hear fans roar in delight.
It was a great place to watch sports.
The Boston Garden was home to the NBA Celtics and NHL Bruins for over 100 years, first opening as “Boston Madison Square Garden,” but more commonly referred to simply as “Garden.” As one of the most recognized arenas worldwide, its fame led it to host memorable moments for Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and Isaiah Thomas, who all held championship banners while at one time or another playing there.
The Garden was home to major cultural events, such as a massive rally for Senator John F. Kennedy during his final day of presidential campaigning. Additionally, it became a favorite concert venue featuring legendary acts like Pearl Jam and The Dead during its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s.
In addition to hosting sports and concerts, the Garden was an excellent venue for other forms of entertainment, such as ice shows and Broadway plays. Additionally, it hosted its inaugural outdoor concert featuring Bob Dylan. Additionally, Red Auerbach made his home here for 11 championship wins while coaching Boston Celtics there.
The Old Garden was an exquisite, historic arena with plenty of charm and personality. With its iconic tan exterior and warm interior design, its warm atmosphere captivated players and audiences alike. Seating was tight, so fans were right in the thick of things – making the arena loud yet intimate while contributing to an exciting scoring environment.
Although beautiful and historic, the Boston Garden was not free from problems. Power outages often occurred, particularly during Bruins Stanley Cup Final appearances, when outages became an even bigger problem due to transformer explosions during games. They even missed an entire game in 1988 due to an issue.
The current TD Garden stands near North Station along Causeway Street and is a home for the NBA’s Boston Celtics and NHL’s Boston Bruins. The building retains many notable sights similar to its predecessor, TD Garden.
It was a great place to see concerts.
Boston Garden was known as home to the Bruins and an outstanding venue for concerts. Some of the top bands of its day, such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and James Brown, all performed there – many consider Fab Four’s one appearance in 1964 to be their finest performance ever!
The Boston Garden opened in 1928, inspired by Madison Square Garden in New York City. Architect Tex Rickard designed it as an intimate arena for boxing; he intended that fans should be able to see every drop of sweat that beamed off the boxers’ foreheads. But Rickard was an astute businessman; the Garden quickly became home for concerts and other events.
Soon after that, English progressive rock band Pink Floyd used a stage set costing over $1 million on their 1977 Animals tour to take over Madison Garden with such spectacular pyrotechnics that they almost got banned from the arena (e.g., an exploding pig for “Pigs (Three Different Ones),” firework displays on “Sheep” and “Money”)
The Dead ripped through their classics with enthusiasm and passion at this show, including an extended take of “Terrapin Station.” Despite exhaustion from touring, they pulled off a beautiful version of “Estimated Prophet.” This marked their last show at Madison Garden before moving on to Cornell University’s Barton Hall in New York City.
The Rolling Stones almost didn’t make their historic concert at Madison Square Garden in 1973 due to a drug bust in Providence, Rhode Island. But then-mayor Kevin H. White flew down to Providence and bailed them out so they could perform at Madison Square Garden that night – while taunting Providence Police with “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” The band gave an electrifying set and dedicated their performance directly to them!
Recently, the Garden has served as a fantastic venue for Pearl Jam and Phish concerts; however, now that its days of glory have passed, it has been marked for demolition. Most likely, an office tower or hotel complex will stand in its place.
It was a great place to see movies.
Boston’s historic spaces are an endless source of creative inspiration for set designers, film directors, and writers alike. These locations serve as backdrops for many touching scenes in popular movies, television series, books, and literary works and have served as locations for filming romance comedies, dramas, and action flicks alike.
Boston was home to several boxing arenas during the 1920s, such as Boston Garden. Built by promoter Tex Rickard in 1928 and designed with fans in mind – so they could see all the action up close – the old Boston Garden provided an arena where fans could watch boxers compete and see all their sweat.
The Garden was a beloved location for sporting and musical events and concerts, hosting 16 NBA Championships and 5 Stanley Cup Finals, among many other memorable occasions. Additionally, it became an arena for political rallying under John F. Kennedy. Additionally, The Garden became home to numerous legendary athletes.
The Garden was an iconic structure known for its iconic parquet floor and unique hockey features – which became internationally acclaimed. However, its closing came about due to renovation work nearby, and in 1995, it was replaced with what would eventually become the TD Garden.
After decades of hosting sports and cultural events, Boston Garden was finally demolished in 1998 to make way for what would eventually be known as Fleet Center, later TD Banknorth Garden. Its final game was April 21, 1995 – an NBA match-up between Boston Celtics and New York Knicks won by Boston.
The Boston Garden was an acclaimed building known worldwide for its breathtaking parquet floors and eye-catching quirks, making it an exciting venue for sports and concerts. Its busy hub location also made it one of Boston’s busiest intersections for travel between North Station (train station) and one of its most prominent hotels nearby.
Before its destruction in 1993, Boston Garden served as an icon of sports and entertainment in Boston for two decades. Home of the Bruins and Celtics teams, its unique architecture and atmosphere made it a must-visit spot in Boston for visitors.
It was a great place to see ice shows.
Old Boston Garden had a distinguished past as it hosted legendary athletes, artists, and political rallies – including John F. Kennedy’s speech in November 1960 – and has been home to Bostonians since its opening. Later replaced by Fleet Center (now TD Garden), its presence remains a landmark in Boston for decades.
Rickard designed the building with spectators in mind; every seat needed to provide an optimal view of “sweat on boxers’ brows.” This resulted in an immersive viewing experience for fans and an echoing acoustic effect when sold-out crowds chanted and roared back off glass panels lining its floor – one of the Boston Bruins’s most memorable moments occurring here during one of their six Stanley Cup victories in its old Garden days.
Bobby Orr scored the game-winning goal against St. Louis Blues in overtime in 1970 at Madison Garden to complete their 4-0 sweep and earn him an ovation from their fans that night. When Orr made his shot and scored, it erupted with cheers at Madison Garden; upon skating around to celebrate it immediately after, someone tripped him. His win marked a phenomenal career accomplishment that earned Orr a standing ovation from fans around the arena that night.
Pink Floyd visited Boston Garden for their Wish You Were Here tour in 1977, an epic show complete with a massive set and pyrotechnics; drummer Nick Mason estimated later that this cost more than its recording budget!
Since the opening of Worcester Centrum and Great Woods Amphitheater, concerts at the old Boston Garden began to decline significantly. Poor acoustics, busy sports schedules, and expensive booking fees led many musicians to leave in favor of more modern venues, though acts like Pearl Jam and Dead did return in later decades. Phish performed its final show there on December 31st when they rode on a giant hotdog float above the audience before continuing playing throughout the evening.
