Madison Square Garden Game Day Guide
New York Knicks · New York, NY
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Bags do not need to be clear but must fit under the seat; bags larger than 22 x 14 x 9 inches are prohibited.
All bags are screened with X-ray technology.
- Bag storage
Madison Square Garden does not provide a check area for bags, coats, or other belongings.
- Mobile tickets
Madison Square Garden uses digital tickets and recommends downloading them to a phone wallet before arrival.
Knicks members can also use the team app; an event marked device-free may require a print-at-home ticket instead.
- Re-entry
All exits are final; guests cannot leave Madison Square Garden and then re-enter.
- Prohibited items
MSG prohibits weapons, stun guns, knives, pepper spray, lasers, fireworks, aerosols, signs and flags, noisemakers, balls, drones, hoverboards, illegal substances, outside food and drink, and other listed items.
Large bags, professional cameras, tripods, selfie sticks, and audio or video recording devices are also prohibited; event pages may add restrictions.
- First aid
First Aid is behind the Guest Services Office on the Kalshi Concourse, sixth floor, outside Section 117.
For immediate help, notify an usher, security officer, or Guest Experience representative; the security office number is 212-465-6799.
- Nursing and lactation
A nursing facility is beside the Guest Services Office on the Kalshi Concourse, sixth floor, outside Section 117.
Breast pumps, associated equipment, and breastmilk are permitted; parents may also use family or all-gender restrooms.
- Family restrooms
Family and all-gender restrooms are available throughout Madison Square Garden.
Ask an usher or Guest Experience representative for the nearest location.
- Tickets for children
For most events, children under age 2 may attend without a ticket if they sit on a parent or guardian's lap and do not occupy a seat.
Check the event page because some family events require tickets for children older than 1.
- Guest services
The main Guest Services Office is outside Section 117, with Guest Experience assistance also available outside Sections 206 and 328.
Guest Relations can be reached at 212-465-6225.
- Service animals
Service animals are permitted inside Madison Square Garden, with dedicated-space seating available throughout the arena if requested.
Contact Accessibility Services at 888-609-7599 before the event when bringing a service animal.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking and electronic cigarettes are prohibited everywhere inside Madison Square Garden.
Violation is grounds for ejection.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Madison Square Garden, hour by hour.
Arrive in Midtown
Take the subway or rail to Penn Station. You're in the center of Manhattan. Grab a pregame meal at one of the hundreds of restaurants within walking distance.
Pregame drinks
Stout NYC, Blarney Rock, or The Ainsworth are popular pregame spots near MSG. Expect crowds on big game nights.
Doors open
Enter MSG through the 7th Avenue or 8th Avenue entrances. Watch warm-ups and take in the iconic circular ceiling and championship banners.
Find your seat
MSG fills up for every Knicks game. Settle in and soak up the atmosphere, there's nothing quite like a packed Garden.
Game time
The MSG crowd is famously passionate. When the Knicks are rolling, the building shakes. Games run about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
Hit the concourse for NYC-style eats. Lines are long at popular stands, 400-level concessions tend to be less crowded.
Post-game scene
Spill out into Midtown. The bars on 7th and 8th Avenues stay busy. Or take the subway anywhere in the city, the night is young.
Tips & Fan Reports
Celebrity sightings are common courtside, Spike Lee's seat at the scorer's table is legendary.
This is the most expensive arena experience in the NBA. Budget accordingly, tickets, food, drinks, everything costs more.
Halftime lines are notoriously long. Buy food during the first or third quarter.
The Chase Bridge seats above the 200 level are unique to MSG - suspended from the ceiling with a straight-down view of the court.
Penn Station gets mobbed after the game. Walk one block to Herald Square (B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W) for a faster exit.
MSG is notoriously strict about re-entry - once you leave, you cannot come back in.
Allow two hours before tip-off: screening here is TSA-style and the queues reflect it.
The A, C and E put you underneath the building, so driving into Midtown on a game night is the harder option.
Check the event page before you travel. A strict no-bag policy applies to some events including Knicks games, over and above the usual size limit.
Any of the four general entrances will admit you; the one printed on the ticket is a suggestion.
Before the Game
Madison Square Garden is at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, sitting directly on top of Penn Station (the A, C and E stop underneath the building), so a Knicks pregame is Midtown rather than anything resembling a lot, and no tailgating policy exists to publish. Two things need planning. Screening is TSA-style and the arena asks guests to arrive at least two hours before tip-off because of it. And the bag rule tightens for basketball: the general policy is that a bag must fit comfortably under your seat with nothing over 22 by 14 by 9 inches, but for some events including Knicks games a strict no-bag policy applies outright, so check the event page before you leave.
Where to Go Before the Game
Penn Station, directly beneath the arena
Madison Square Garden sits directly above Penn Station at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, reached on the A, C and E trains to 34th Street/Penn Station. The building is its own transit hub, which is why most people arrive without a car.
Known for Directly above Penn Station · A, C and E to 34th St · 4 Pennsylvania Plaza
The four general entrances
The arena has general entrance points on its north, south, east and west sides, plus separate VIP entrances. The ticket names a suggested one but any of the four admits general guests.
Known for North, south, east, west · Plus VIP entrances
Nearby garages and lots via SpotHero
SpotHero is the arena's official parking app, covering the garages and lots around Penn Plaza. Midtown parking on an event night is best booked rather than hunted.
Known for Official parking app · Midtown garages · Book ahead
Pregame Rules
What Madison Square Garden allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Madison Square Garden is at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, directly above Penn Station, reached by the A, C and E trains to 34th Street/Penn Station.
- The arena has general entrance points on the north, south, east and west sides, plus VIP entrance points.
- Bags must fit comfortably under your seat, and oversized bags larger than 22" x 14" x 9" are prohibited.
- For some events, including Knicks games, a strict no-bag policy is in effect and fans are asked to limit personal items to an absolute minimum.
- Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive at least two hours before tip-off to allow time for screening and entry, which uses TSA-style procedures.
- SpotHero is the official parking app of Madison Square Garden.
- Venue protocols are subject to change and should be checked on the event detail page before travelling.
Weather
Madison Square Garden is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NBA season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 65°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 28°F. October is the wettest month at 4.4 inches and January the driest at 3.6 inches.
That January low ranks 12th coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and October here ranks 10th wettest.
October
4.4 inchesDecember
4.4 inchesJanuary
3.6 inchesMarch
4.3 inchesApril
4.1 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages are prohibited inside Madison Square Garden.
- A card or a phone wallet
Madison Square Garden accepts credit and debit cards plus mobile payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- A coat for the walk in
January lows average 28°F between the lot and the door at Madison Square Garden.
- A rain layer for the walk in
October averages 4.4 inches of rain outside Madison Square Garden.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Official venue page / team game day guide
- Pregame
Madison Square Garden official site: Directions, Entrances, Visitors Guide and FAQs
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Madison Square Garden FAQ, accessibility-services, and venue-guide pages reviewed for New York Knicks game-day policies.