Madison Square Park

Madison Square Park is a 6.2-acre park in the Flatiron District, bounded by Broadway, Madison Avenue, and 23rd to 26th Streets. Named for President James Madison, the park has been a public open space since 1847, though the site served as a parade ground and potter's field before that.

The park is perhaps best known today as the birthplace of Shake Shack, the burger chain founded by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group. What began as a hot dog cart in 2001 became a permanent kiosk in 2004 and grew into a global restaurant empire, though the original park location remains its most beloved outpost, frequently attracting long queues.

Madison Square Park is surrounded by architectural landmarks, most notably the Flatiron Building (1902), whose distinctive triangular shape at the intersection of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street is one of the most photographed buildings in the world. The MetLife Tower and the New York Life Insurance Building also frame the park skyline.

The park was the original home of Madison Square Garden (hence the venue's name, though it has since relocated three times) and the site where the arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty were displayed from 1876 to 1882 to raise funds for the statue's pedestal. These historical connections make the park one of the most storied in Manhattan.

The Madison Square Park Conservancy manages the park through a public-private partnership and has transformed it into one of the city's most vibrant public spaces, with ambitious rotating public art installations, a year-round programming calendar, beautifully maintained seasonal gardens, and a popular dog run.

Today Madison Square Park balances its role as a neighborhood park for Flatiron and NoMad residents with its status as a destination for visitors drawn by its food, art, and architecture. The park's carefully tended plantings, particularly its spring tulip displays and fall foliage, make it one of the most photogenic green spaces in the city.