Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:One Fleet Center suite 200
Boston, Massachusetts
Our Sports Superfan Says:
While the TD Banknorth Garden admittedly lacks the presence of retired Celtics like Bill Russell, Bill Walton, Dominique Williams, and Larry Bird, it does carry current stars of 2009, including Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. Since its construction in 1995 (to replace its predecessor, the worn down, albeit championship filled, Boston Garden), the TD Banknorth Garden has been home to the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association, the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, and the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League.
Like many other indoor arenas, the TD Banknorth Garden, formerly known as the FleetCenter, is also home to concerts, wrestling shows, and a wide variety of other events, like the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2001 and the Democratic Party's National Convention there in 2004. It has also hosted the NCAA basketball tournament a few times, as well as the Frozen Four, the NCAA hockey finals, in 1998. TD Banknorth Garden was also the venue of both the 1996 NHL All-Star Game and the 2006 NCAA basketball women's Final Four.
An interesting part of the arena's history is its name. It was originally named the FleetCenter, but when Fleet Bank pulled out of its naming rights deal in 2005, and before TD Banknorth signed on, the arena put the naming rights for sale on eBay every day for a month. Fans were able to purchase the rights for an average of about $5,000 a night, until more permanent rights were sold to Banknorth.
Inside the TD Banknorth Garden is a Sports Museum dedicated to the history of New England sports. It is open to visitors every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
TD Banknorth Garden is located in downtown Boston, on top of North Station. The MBTA's orange and green lines on the T both stop at the station.