History
The Stanford White-designed Garden at Madison Avenue and 26th Street seated 8,000 in its main hall. It was home to the Six Days of New York bicycle race from 1899, staged the first Millrose Games in 1914 and hosted heavyweight bouts such as Jess Willard against Frank Moran in 1916 and Jack Dempsey's knockout of Bill Brennan in 1920. The 1924 Democratic National Convention was held there.
The Garden closed in 1925, when a new Madison Square Garden opened at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street, and was demolished in 1926 for the New York Life Building.
Why it matters: Gave its name to the line of Madison Square Gardens and the 'six-day' and Millrose Games traditions.
Timeline
- 1890Opened[1]
The second Madison Square Garden opened.
- 1899Six Days of New York[1]
The Six Days of New York bicycle race moved to the Garden, where it was held until the building was demolished.
- 1914First Millrose Games[1]
The Millrose Games indoor track meet was first held there.
- March 25, 1916Willard vs. Moran[1]
Jess Willard's bout with Frank Moran drew $152,000, the Garden's largest gate to that date.
- December 14, 1920Dempsey vs. Brennan[1]
Jack Dempsey knocked out Bill Brennan in the 12th round.
- 1924Democratic National Convention[1]
The convention nominated John W. Davis on the 103rd ballot.
- 1926Demolished[1]
The building was demolished; construction of the New York Life Building began on the site.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | New York Life Building[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Other names | Madison Square Garden II |
|---|---|
| Location | Madison Avenue at 26th Street, Manhattan, New York, New York |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Boxing & wrestling, Track & field, Cycling |
| Level | Boxing, Six-day racing |
| Opened | 1890[1] |
| Last used for sports | 1925[1] |
| Demolished | 1926[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 8,000[1] |
| Architect | McKim, Mead & White (Stanford White)[1] |
| Construction cost | About $500,000 initially; final cost reported as $3 million |
Documented details
- It was replaced by the third Madison Square Garden at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street, which opened in 1925.[1]
Connected venues
Sources
- Madison Square Garden (1890), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, 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)
- Opening: Wikipedia's infobox gives June 1, 1891, while its text says the Garden opened in 1890.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.