MANHATTAN (PIX11) — Visitors hitting up Madison Square Garden a concert, a Knicks game or a Rangers game may wonder where the name came from. 

After all, the building is round. It’s also about a 10-15 minute walk from Madison Square Park.

“I can’t quite understand why we call it square,” Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday at an unrelated event. “Maybe we should rename it Madison Round Garden.”

The name dates back to the original entertainment venue. The current iteration is not the first. Madison Square Garden used to be adjacent to the park, according to Madison Square Park Conservancy.

  • Exterior view of the second old Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1940s. (Photo by Getty Images)
  • Exterior view of the second old Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1940s. (Photo by Getty Images)
  • 29th November 1966: Construction work in progress on the new Madison Square Garden arena at New York City. It will be used for sports, concerts, entertainment and other indoor events. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
  • The new circular Madison Square Garden arena in New York, 21st February 1968. (Photo by H. William Tetlow/Fox Photos/Getty Images)
  • New York, UNITED STATES: Aerial view of Madison Square Garden, 01 July 2007, in New York City. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images)
  • NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 13: Exterior view of the Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers taken on January 13, 2003 in the New York City, New York. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The first venue was built in the 1870s, but it was demolished in 1889, according to Madison Square Park Conservancy. A second Madison Square Garden was built at the same site near 26th Street and Madison Avenue. It hosted events until 1925. 

A third Madison Square Garden opened that year at 49th Street and Eighth Avenue, according to Madison Square Park Conservancy. 

MSG in its current form, located between 31st and 33rd streets and Seventh and Eighth avenues, opened on Feb. 11, 1968, according to Madison Square Garden. 

“From a structural standpoint, the Arena was considered an engineering marvel for its time, including its famous circular shape and unique, cable-supported ceiling, which contributes to its intimate feel,” according to the MSG website. “In October 2013, The World’s Most Famous Arena became the world’s most state-of-the-art with the completion of a three-year, top-to-bottom transformation, ensuring that Madison Square Garden will continue to be the site of historic, unforgettable live experiences for generations to come.”