Boston Garden

Believe it or not, the origin of the old Boston Garden dates back to the Calvin Coolidge era, as it opened its doors on November 14, 1928. The facility hosted Boston Celtic basketball and Boston Bruins hockey for more than 66 years and saw the two franchises win a combined 21 world championships during its lifespan. In addition, according to the official TD Banknorth Garden website, the old Boston Garden hosted speeches from some of the most influential men and women of all time, including Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. The Garden closed on September 29, 1995, as the Celtics and Bruins moved into the FleetCenter (now the TD Banknorth Garden), which was located right next door to the old venue. The Boston Garden may be gone, but it is certainly not forgotten, especially among Celtics fans who remember the legacy of the team's 16 NBA titles won while calling the facility home.

Boston Garden: Legacy of the Parquet Floor

Perhaps nothing signifies the mystique of Celtic Basketball better than the parquet floor that became famous at the Boston Garden. So how did the parquet floor come about? It was purchased by team founder Walter Brown in 1946 to help cushion the concrete floor of the Boston Arena. However, due to a post-war shortage of materials, the wood floor he purchased was shipped parquet style, which meant that it needed to be pieced together. The flooring was placed in Boston Garden in December of 1952 and gained infamy thanks to Bob Cousy. Cousy earned the name "The Prince of the Parquet" because opponents believed that he knew the location of all of the floor's dead spots and used the information to his advantage during games. Today, the parquet floor resides at the TD Banknorth Garden and consists of more than 260 wood panels. It remains as a living legacy of the Celtics' great success throughout the years at the legendary Boston Garden.