Located in the 6th largest market in the country, the TD Banknorth Garden (formerly the Fleet Center) is New England's premier sports and entertainment facility. Although it is best recognized as home to two of the most storied franchises in all of sports (the NHL's Boston Bruins and NBA's Boston Celtics), the TD Banknorth Garden prides itself on its wide diversity of events. We have ice shows, the circus, gymnastics, concerts, Disney shows, pro-wrestling, the Beanpot and so much more. A variety of private events are also held at the TD Banknorth Garden every year, including graduations, sales and marketing seminars, receptions, charity dinners, annual meetings and conventions. Our meeting spaces, restaurants and audio/video capabilities make the TD Banknorth Garden the perfect location for almost any gathering.
Since its grand opening on September 30, 1995, the TD Banknorth Garden has played host to hundreds of sporting contests, renowned concerts, family shows and special events, while quickly earning a reputation as one of the top venues in the country.
The state-of-the-art TD Banknorth Garden features numerous modern amenities that the old "Gah-den" was never able to offer. New England sports and entertainment fans can now enjoy the luxuries of a year-round, 19,600-seat facility, fully equipped with two restaurants, a private club, air-conditioning, 104 executive suites, 4 promenade suites, more than 2,500 club seats and a multi-million dollar video scoreboard.
| Comparison of | Boston Garden | TD Banknorth Garden |
| Opened | November 17, 1928 | September 30, 1995 |
| Cost | $4 million | $160 million |
| Construction time | 11 months | 2 years, 5 months |
| Maximum capacity | 15,509 | 19,600 |
| Basketball seating | 14,890 | 18,854 |
| Hockey seating | 14,448 | 17,565 |
| Escalators | 0 | 13 |
| Elevators | 1 | 7 |
| Luxury boxes | 36 | 104 |
| Scoreboard | Non-Video | JumboTron |
| Bathrooms | 10 | 34 |
| First event | Boxing | Hoisting the banners |
| Air conditioning | No | Yes |
| "The floor" | Parquet | Same |
| Rink size | 191x83 feet | 200x85 feet |
| Obstructed views | Many | None |
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The arena's impressive facilities and Boston's appeal have helped the TD Banknorth Garden attract several national profile events since its opening, including the 1998 NCAA Hockey Championship, the WWF's 1998 WrestleMania XIV event, the first and second rounds of the 1999 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. In upcoming years the TD Banknorth Garden will host the 2000 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, 2001 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the first and second rounds of the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
At more than 200 public events the TD Banknorth Garden hosts well over 3 and a half million people each year!!!
Source: TD Banknorth Garden
The grand opening of the TD Banknorth Garden (Fleet Bank is the title sponsor) was scheduled to open on September 30, 1995 with a musical program featuring the Boston Pops and figure skater Nancy Kerigan. Located only nine inches from the 67 year old Boston Garden (which will be razed in 1996); seats 17,565 for hockey and 18,854 for NBA basketball, the Boston Celtics. Includes 104 luxury suites and cost $172 million. The hockey home opener was October 7, 1995 against the New York Islanders.
The project design was conceived by the architectural firm Ellerbe Becket, Inc. of Kansas City, MO, the TD Banknorth Garden will serve as the northern gateway to the City of Boston. With high visibility from both north and south, the structure also features grand-scaled windows with views of the Boston Inner Harbor.
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
| TD Banknorth Garden Ranking by USRT |
| Architecture |  | 4.5 |
| Concessions | | 6 |
| Scoreboard | | 5.5 |
| Ushers | | 6 |
| Fan Support | | 6 |
| Location | | 6 |
| Banners/History | | 10 |
| Entertainment | | 4 |
| Concourses/Fan Comfort | | 5 |
| Bonus: NE Sports Museum | | 5 |
| Bonus: Train Stadium in Building | | 2.5 |
| Total Score |  | 60.5 |
March 31, 2000
April 1, 2000
February 14, 2005
February 1, 2007 - Boston's Fleet Center opened in late 1995, replacing the aged Boston Garden, a hallowed ground for one of the Original Six NHL teams and home to that great Celtics dynasty of the 60's. The old Garden was located downtown atop the old North Station... the Fleet Center is built ON TOP of the new North Station. When you set foot into this building, you are immediately confronted with the mix of fans attending an event and commuters catching their train rides out into the 'burbs.
Getting to the Venue
Getting to the Fleet Center means driving up I-93. From the south and from I-90 you exit at Storrow Drive and turn left. From the north exit at Leverett Circle in Cambridge and follow the signs across the bridge. Traffic is a major headache in Boston so allow enough time as backups are frequent. Parking is also a chore here, little free street parking and most ramps and the garage under the arena charge anywhere from $18-$25 for event parking. Surface lots are few and far between. Another option is to leave your car at a park and ride lot, and take the subway or the commuter train, known here as the "T". Either way make sure you have a plan before heading out.
Outside the Venue
Causeway Street runs directly outside the building, and across the street is a tightly wound neighborhood of city streets with a cornucopia of taverns and some memorabilia stores and souvenir shops, kind of like the atmosphere around Wrigley Field on a smaller scale. Special mention here to "The Fours" on Canal Street, an awesome sports bar and of the oldest in the country. And although Boston's historic landmarks beckon in other parts of downtown, one can find many historic North End attractions and historic Faneuil Hall, all within walking distance. As of 2005, much remains to complete the work on Boston's "Big Dig" project, so much of the area around the arena remains a mess of construction detours, piles of debris and shuttered overpasses awaiting demolition. Once completed, the neighborhood around the arena will be forever transformed for the better, with new roadways and open spaces for downtown parks.
The Concourses
Very bright and colors are generally yellow and white. Since the arena is built on top of the rail station, one must take a set of escalators from the main lobby up to the arena lobby. After security check and ticket scan, you then take yet another long escalator ride, and that takes you to the 100 level concourse.
Concessions
There are many concessions with a terrific food selection and also several merchandise kiosks. The "West End Deli" offers sandwich wraps, pita sandwich even a lobster roll sandwich! We even fond a stand selling Buffalo wings that looked like the real deal. The main team store is located in the main lobby, off the train station concourse downstairs and is accessible from the inside or the outside.
Club Seats
Available to club seats holders are two restaurants, Banners and the Premium Club, both offering upscale dining. The Premium Club offers a la carte items at different food stations. On the lower level is a membership only Sports Club, Legends, also offering casual dining. The unique thing about the club level is that it houses the Sports Museum of New England. The entire concourse is devoted to displays, memorabilia, interactive features and if you have tickets on this level, allow enough time to take it all in. This museum is also open on non event days and is a must see for the sports fan.
Banners/Retired Numbers
Man oh man, if you like banners then you have come to the right place - both the Bruins and the Celtics have a long rich history and it is reflected in their many championship banners and retired numbers that adorn the rafters. Much of their success, however, predates the 90s, and today both teams are struggling to find their footing.
Summary
What leaves us cold about the Fleet Center is probably the location. We like downtown sports venues, but with the Big Dig mess, lots of expressway overpasses around the building and abutting the Cambridge River, this is a tough place to get to and to get out of, parking is scarce and expensive, and the configuration of the arena suggests that this is a rail station first, and a sports venue second, as in almost an afterthought. Of course the old Boston Garden also sat atop the former North Station, so this is just the way it is here. Still nice amenities, sports museum is outstanding, and a venue with a pretty seating bowl and clean and bright concourses, so the end result is we rank the Fleet Center in the middle of the pack.
