DemolishedBoxing & wrestling Partially verified

Laurel Garden Arena

Newark, New Jersey · Arena

Laurel Garden Arena on Springfield Avenue in Newark, New Jersey, was a 3,000-seat boxing and wrestling club from 1922 until about 1953. It was demolished in the mid-1950s.

Opened: 1922
Closed: 1953
Today: Demolished
Capacity: 3,000

Open in Maps

Suggest a correction Submit a photo

Illustration. No licensed photograph on file yet. Submit a photo you own.

History

Laurel Garden opened in 1922 and seated about 3,000 for boxing and wrestling. Fighters such as Tony Galento, Jersey Joe Walcott and Joey Giardello appeared there, Jack Dempsey refereed his first New Jersey bout there in 1931, and Stanley Kubrick shot part of Day of the Fight at a 1950 card.

One of its last major bouts was Giardello's win over Hurley Sandler on May 30, 1953. The building was demolished in the mid-1950s.

Timeline

1922
Opened[1]
Laurel Garden opened on Springfield Avenue.
January 1931
Dempsey referees[1]
Jack Dempsey made his New Jersey debut as a referee.
February 12, 1940
Walcott vs. Simon[1]
Jersey Joe Walcott faced Abe Simon.
January 12, 1946
Fire[1]
A fire damaged the arena and the Saturday fights moved to Orange.
April 17, 1950
Day of the Fight[1]
Stanley Kubrick filmed his short Day of the Fight during a live card.
May 30, 1953
Giardello vs. Sandler[1]
Joey Giardello beat Hurley Sandler in one of the last major bouts there.

The site today

Physical status	Demolished
Mapped location	Former venue site

We have not verified what occupies the site today. Know? Tell us, with a source.

Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)

Venue facts

Other names	Laurel Garden
Location	457 Springfield Avenue, Newark, New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey[1]
Venue type	Arena
Sports	Boxing & wrestling
Level	Boxing, Professional wrestling
Opened	1922[1]
Last used for sports	1953[1]
Physical status	Demolished
Final capacity	3,000[1]

Documented details

Wrestling promoters at the arena included Jack Pfefer (from 1937) and Toots Mondt (from 1938), and 1950s main events were broadcast on WATV.[1]

Sources

Laurel Garden Arena, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19
Supports: address, capacity, closed, coordinates, events, opened

Research confidence

Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.

Where sources disagree (1)

Closing: infobox 1953; article text 'the mid-1950s'.

See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.

Other former venues in Newark

Wiedenmeyer's Park

Newark, New Jersey · Baseball · 1902–1918

Wiedenmeyer's Park in Newark's Ironbound was the city's minor-league ballpark from 1902 to 1918 and hosted one New York Highlanders game in 1904 to avoid New York's Sunday laws.

Site redeveloped

Ruppert Stadium

Newark, New Jersey · Baseball · 1926–c. 1959

Ruppert Stadium was the Ironbound ballpark of the Yankees' top farm club, the Newark Bears, and the Negro National League Newark Eagles, who won the 1946 Negro World Series there.

Site redevelopedPartially verified

Nearby former venues

Harrison Park

Harrison, New Jersey · Baseball · 1915–1923

Harrison Park in Harrison, New Jersey was built for the Federal League's 1915 Newark Peppers, then housed the minor-league Newark Bears and national soccer finals until fire destroyed it in August 1923.

Site redeveloped

Roosevelt Stadium

Jersey City, New Jersey · Baseball · 1937–1981

Roosevelt Stadium was a WPA-built Art Deco stadium on Jersey City's Newark Bay waterfront, where Jackie Robinson made his professional debut in 1946 and the Brooklyn Dodgers played part-time in 1956-57.

Site redevelopedPartially verified

Giants Stadium

East Rutherford, New Jersey · Football · 1976–2010

Giants Stadium was an open-air stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. It was home to the New York Giants from 1976 and to the New York Jets from 1984 until both teams moved next door to MetLife Stadium in 2010.

Site redeveloped

Meadowlands Arena

East Rutherford, New Jersey · Basketball · 1981–2015

The Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford was home to the NBA's Nets and the NHL's Devils for about three decades. It closed to public events in 2015 and has since been used as a rehearsal hall and film stage.

Standing, repurposedPartially verified

Closed in the same era

Broadway Arena

New York, New York · Boxing & wrestling · 1914–1952

The Broadway Arena on Halsey Street in Brooklyn staged boxing from 1914 to 1951 and wrestling until 1952. The building became a warehouse and supermarket, and housing now occupies the site.

Site redevelopedPartially verified

Ridgewood Grove

Ridgewood (Queens, New York City), New York · Boxing & wrestling · 1926–1956

Ridgewood Grove was a 4,000-seat boxing and wrestling arena at the Brooklyn-Queens line from 1926 to 1956, with a brief 1980s revival. The building survives with other uses.

Standing, repurposedPartially verified

Hollywood Legion Stadium

Los Angeles, California · Boxing & wrestling · 1921–1959

Hollywood Legion Stadium, run by American Legion Post 43, was Hollywood's boxing and wrestling arena from the early 1920s until 1959. The 1938 building survives as a gym.

Standing, repurposed

St. Nicholas Arena

New York, New York · Boxing & wrestling · 1896–1962

St. Nicholas Arena on West 66th Street in Manhattan opened as an ice rink in 1896 and was one of New York's main boxing clubs from 1906 until it closed in 1962. It later became an ABC television studio and was demolished in the 1980s.

Site redeveloped