What was the Bear Garden in shakespeare time?

The bear garden, or 'bear pit', was a place of entertainment where bears would be baited by dogs for sport. The bear garden was so-called because bears were kept in a pit, and spectators could watch the bear-baiting from the surrounding stands. The bloodsports often took place in bear gardens, which were purpose-built arenas.

This brutal form of entertainment was popular from medieval times all the way through to the 18th century. London had one of the most famous bear gardens, located on the south bank of the River Thames, near what is now the South Bank.