Madison Square Garden sits on top of Penn Station between West 31st and 33rd Streets. The arena hosts Knicks and Rangers home games from October through April, plus concerts and events year-round. Charter Bus New York City runs MSG game day shuttles for corporate suite groups, alumni associations, birthday parties, and bachelor weekends out of the Tri-State.
Call 646-601-0230 to lock in a date, or request a free quote.
The Run to the Penn Station Block
From a Midtown hotel, the run to the 31st Street drop is short. The coach moves west on 42nd or 34th Street to 8th Avenue, then south to 31st Street. Total run is 10 to 15 minutes outside of rush hour. Times Square block traffic tightens 4 to 7 PM weekdays, so the driver routes via 11th Avenue when needed.
From New Jersey, the Lincoln Tunnel feeds directly into Midtown. The coach exits at 40th Street and routes south to the Penn Station block. From Brooklyn or Queens, the Williamsburg or Manhattan Bridge feeds the FDR Drive northbound. The coach exits at 23rd Street and runs west to 7th Avenue.
Where the Coach Drops at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001
msg.com
The standard charter bus drop is on 31st Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Charter buses are not permitted on 33rd Street during event egress windows because of NYPD curb management. The coach pulls into the 31st Street drop lane. The group offloads in three to four minutes. The driver routes west on 31st to reposition.
For a 7:30 PM Knicks tipoff, drop between 6:00 and 6:30 PM is the standard window. For weekend matinees with 1:00 PM tipoff, drop by 11:30 AM. Suite holders walk into Gate 7 on the 7th Avenue side or Gate 6 on the West Plaza side.
Who Books MSG Group Bus Runs
- Corporate suite groups, 18 to 40 attendees, hosting clients for Knicks, Rangers, or Liberty games and major concerts.
- Alumni association game nights from Fordham, Columbia, NYU, and other Tri-State schools.
- Bachelor and birthday groups of 20 to 30 routing a game into a Manhattan dinner.
- Concert tour groups for marquee MSG residencies and one-night events.
- Holiday-season groups for the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City paired with an MSG event.
Which Bus Fits a Madison Square Garden Run
| Vehicle | Seats | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to 14 | Suite client groups of 8 to 12 from a Midtown office tower or hotel. |
| 28-passenger minibus | Up to 28 | Mid-size suite plus standing-room groups, a Fordham or NYU alumni night. |
| 35-passenger minibus | Up to 35 | Larger alumni nights, full corporate hospitality blocks. |
| 56-passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Full-block fan group, concert tour, or corporate party with single-pickup logistics. |
Compare every size on our buses page, or browse our sporting event bus rental service.
A 7:30 PM Knicks Tipoff Game Day Timeline
- 5:30 PM Driver checks in at the dispatch yard, pretrips the coach.
- 6:00 PM Pickup at the Midtown hotel block, west side between 42nd and 50th Streets.
- 6:15 PM Coach runs west to 8th Avenue, then south.
- 6:25 PM Drop at 31st Street between 7th and 8th. Group walks to Gate 7.
- 6:30 PM Coach repositions to 11th Avenue staging.
- 10:00 PM Coach pre-stages on 31st Street for postgame pickup.
- 10:30 PM Group reassembles at the 31st Street curb.
- 11:00 PM Drop at Midtown hotels.
What a Madison Square Garden Charter Bus Costs
A 56-passenger charter bus for a Manhattan-to-MSG weeknight event with a 5-hour minimum runs $1,200 to $1,700. The rate depends on day of week, tipoff or concert time, and dispatch yard. A 28-passenger minibus for the same run lands in $850 to $1,150. A Sprinter van for a suite-holder group of 12 runs $650 to $850.
Knicks playoff games, Rangers playoff games, marquee concert nights, NYE in Times Square, and Macy’s parade Thanksgiving morning all carry surcharge windows. Charter Bus New York City quotes any of these within an hour during business hours. Our charter bus prices page shows ballpark numbers.
Planning Ahead for Concert Weekends and Playoff Runs
Knicks playoff games book within 24 to 48 hours of the playoff bracket dropping. Rangers playoff games book on the same timeline. Marquee concert nights book 60 to 90 days out for full coaches. Weeknight regular-season games are usually available with 7 to 14 days notice. Holiday-season nights (Christmas Spectacular crossovers, NYE-adjacent events) book 30 to 60 days out.
Named Drop Zones and Postgame Routing
- 31st Street drop curb between 7th and 8th Avenues, the standard MSG group drop.
- 11th Avenue charter staging, the closest reliable bus staging area west of MSG.
- Postgame egress via 31st Street west to 11th Avenue, then south to the Lincoln Tunnel or north to the West Side Highway. Avoid 7th and 8th Avenues immediately after the buzzer.
- Penn Station crowd, the post-event LIRR and NJ Transit egress floods 7th and 8th Avenues for 20 to 30 minutes after final buzzer.
Common MSG Group Profiles
- Corporate suite group, 18 to 30 hosted clients. A 28-passenger minibus pickup at the office tower lobby, single drop on 31st.
- Alumni game night, 35 to 50 attendees. A 35-passenger minibus or 56-passenger coach from the host campus.
- Concert tour group, 40 to 56 riders. A 56-passenger coach with luggage bay for merchandise and overnight bags.
- Bachelor or birthday group, 18 to 28 riders. A 28-passenger minibus from a Manhattan steakhouse to MSG and back.
- Holiday crossover group, 35 to 45 riders. A 35-passenger minibus combining an MSG event with Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Best MSG Events for Charter Bus Groups
The event types that fill our Madison Square Garden calendar most weeks:
Knicks home games. 41 regular-season home games from October through April, plus playoff runs. Suite groups and corporate hospitality lead the booking volume.
Rangers home games. 41 regular-season home games on overlapping nights. Rangers playoff runs are the highest-demand booking weekend in the spring.
Liberty home games. The WNBA Liberty plays summer home games at MSG. The Liberty have a strong corporate-hospitality and fan-club audience.
Big East and NCAA Tournament games. March hosts the Big East men’s basketball tournament and occasional NCAA Tournament regional rounds. Alumni groups from Villanova, Georgetown, St. John’s, and Connecticut book full coaches.
Marquee concert residencies. Multi-night residencies by tour acts drive concert tour group bookings. The post-show egress benefits from the dedicated 31st Street curb timing.
The Christmas Spectacular at Radio City. Cross-routed with MSG events during November and December, especially weekend matinee combos for family groups.
Group Booking Tips for Madison Square Garden Trips
A few logistical patterns that come up repeatedly on MSG group bookings:
Pickup point. Most office-tower hosted groups load at the building’s main lobby or porte-cochere. The driver will not block a curb without coordination, so the host confirms the pickup loop with building security 24 to 48 hours ahead. Hotel-block pickups load at the standard motor entrance.
Headcount and waiver. The final headcount locks 48 hours before the event. For corporate suite groups, the host typically distributes the event waiver and seat-assignment block in the same email. The driver carries the manifest.
Pre-event dinner. Many MSG groups route a 4:30 or 5:00 PM dinner reservation in Hell’s Kitchen or the Garment District into the pre-event window. Common stops include the Tick Tock Diner block, the steakhouses on West 36th, or the Hudson Yards food hall. The coach drops at the restaurant, parks at a nearby lot, and returns for the MSG drop.
Postgame nightcap. After-event drinks at the Hudson Yards rooftop bars or a Times Square hotel lobby bar are common add-ons. The driver waits curbside or repositions to 11th Avenue staging until the group is ready.
Tip and gratuity. Driver gratuity is not included in the base quote. The standard range is 15 to 20 percent of the trip total, paid in cash or added to the final invoice.
Working a multi-game or concert weekend? See our broader NYC group transit playbook, Barclays Center coach service in Brooklyn, and Prudential Center coach from Manhattan for the next group on the schedule.
Book a Madison Square Garden Charter Bus
A 7:30 PM Knicks tipoff with a 30-person Midtown group and a 6:00 PM hotel pickup runs cleanly via 8th Avenue south to the 31st Street drop. Call Charter Bus New York City at 646-601-0230 to speak with a live representative, or request a free quote for your MSG event.
