150 STANIFORD STREET, SUITE 7, BOSTON, MA 02114

Hidden Gems from the Old Boston Garden on display at the West End Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 5, 2012

Boston, MA—The West End Museum is kicking off 2012 with an exhibit of photographs and other memorabilia from the neighborhood’s most famous building. The exhibit, Hidden Gems from the Old Boston Garden, is a collaborative effort between the West End Museum and The Sports Museum. It opens on January 3 and runs through February 11, 2012.

“We are thrilled The Sports Museum agreed to loan us these photos and other items. Because the Garden has always been such an important part of the West End neighborhood, we think this exhibit will rekindle some wonderful memories for our visitors,” said John Caron, a member of the West End Museum’s Board of Directors.

The original Boston Garden stood from 1928 to 1995 and hosted everything from hockey and basketball to boxing and rock concerts. Photographs on display in this exhibit show how the old Garden was even configured for ski jumping and tennis matches. Stools that were used in the corners of boxers like Welterweight Champion Tony DeMarco—who trained in the West End—will also be displayed along with seats from the original building.

“Over the decades many West Enders either worked at the Garden as ushers or concessionaires or attended the many events. The building was a special part of the neighborhood then and still is today,” said Richard Johnson, curator for The Sports Museum, which is housed on Levels 5 and 6 of the TD Garden.

Hidden Gems from the Old Boston Garden is free and open to the public: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-5 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays from 12-7 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit www.theWestEndMuseum.org or call 617-723-2125.

Media Contact: Matt Ellis [email protected] 617-278-6560

About the West End Museum: The West End Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of Boston’s West End neighborhood. The Museum’s permanent exhibit, “The Last Tenement,” highlights the immigrant history of the neighborhood through its decimation under Urban Renewal in 1959; two additional galleries feature rotating exhibits. The Museum is located near North Station at 150 Staniford Street, Suite 7. Admission is free.