Capital One Arena will welcome back fans for Wizards and Mystics games over the coming weeks after Mayor Muriel Bowser approved a waiver that allows an increase of capacity by up to 25%.
Built by Wizards owner Abe Pollin and owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the arena opened for business in December 1997 and has hosted more than 220 world-class concerts and family shows each year since.
Located in the Chinatown/Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Capital One Arena, previously known as MCI Center and Verizon Center, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility in Washington D.C.’s Chinatown/Penn Quarter neighborhood. Home of both NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals ice hockey teams and Georgetown University men’s basketball. Furthermore, Capital One Arena serves as a host for concerts as well as special events.
This venue holds 20,278 for basketball and 18,398 for hockey, respectively, and serves as a home for both Washington Mystics of the WNBA and DC Rollergirls of MLS, owned by Monumental Sports and Entertainment, who also control Washington Wizards, Capitals, Mystics, Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball teams.
At its central downtown district location, it is easily accessible from most areas. It can be found atop Gallery Place/Chinatown metro stop on red, green, and yellow lines and within walking distance from Archives-Navy Memorial Penn Quarter Metro Center Judiciary Square stations – making this arena easily reachable from most directions. Furthermore, Ronald Reagan National and Baltimore-Washington International Airports are easily reached there.
Capital One Arena is an iconic concert and events venue, welcoming some of the biggest names in music each year. Catch your favorite artists while they tour across the country; tickets for upcoming events can be purchased from the Capital One Arena box office (17 windows) located at 601 F Street NW or online at their website.
Capital One Arena provides guests with many amenities, including complimentary Wi-Fi and an exclusive Team Store. In addition, guests with special needs are accommodated with features like ADA seating. Furthermore, there is also a nursing mother’s lounge across from Section 217 for added convenience.
The area surrounding the arena has long been a favorite destination for nightlife and shopping, featuring numerous bars and restaurants that have opened since its debut. These establishments range from established since opening day to new venues that may have opened since. Furthermore, it is near the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Ford Theatre, and National Building Museum for further entertainment options.
It is home to the National Basketball Association’s Washington Wizards and National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals.
Capital One Arena in Downtown Washington, DC, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility that houses the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals, WNBA team Washington Mystics, and Georgetown University men’s basketball team. Capital One Arena provides visitors an entertaining way to experience city culture while watching exciting sporting events!
Construction crews started work on the arena in 1995, and it officially opened for business on December 2, 1997, for $260 million, funded by then Wizards owner Abraham Pollin. Ted Leonsis became the majority owner in June 2010, creating Monumental Sports & Entertainment and owning professional teams such as NBA Wizards, NHL Capitals, and WNBA Mystics, as well as concerts and special events hosted in its venue.
The arena holds a capacity of 20,173 for basketball games and 18,277 for hockey games, respectively. Seating arrangements at concerts and special events vary. Floor seats tend to provide the best views, followed by 200-level seating that offers similar vantage points as suites; and finally, 400, 400-level seats provide birds-eye views of all of the action!
Since the arena’s inaugural year in 1973, two events have occurred annually: Harlem Globetrotters and Washington International Horse Show in 1973 and 1975.
If you want to see the Wizards or Capitals play before a packed house, tickets should be purchased early, as arena seats often sell out quickly for big games. If they sell out again before you can buy tickets, try searching online or at local box offices instead for any available.
Capital One Arena remains open and operational during this pandemic, adhering strictly to all protocols set out by CDC, WHO, and DC Health. Furthermore, Capital One Arena uses tested best-in-industry technologies that exceed minimum requirements for safe and secure events.
It is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility.
Capital One Arena, owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility. The arena hosts professional basketball and hockey teams, concerts, figure skating events, college games, and college hockey matches. Situated at the heart of Washington D.C. since 1997, Capital One Arena is home to both the NBA’s Wizards and NHL’s Capitals teams; MSE also operates nearby MedStar Capitals Iceplex, a state-of-the-art training facility for Capitals players.
This venue provides several hospitality spaces that can host groups of 50 to 350 people, such as the Budweiser Brewhouse and PwC Club. Both areas boast excellent views of the arena’s bustling entrance, offering both front-room seating and back rooms; PwC Club can be configured on its second level to meet any group’s specific requirements; guests will also have access to premium food and beverage offerings.
Capital One Arena boasts more than just clubs; fans can experience it to its fullest through Etihad Airways Lounge, Michelob Ultra Courtside Lounge, and Devil’s Backbone Lounge – each designed to give visitors the optimal Capital One Arena experience. There is also a team store in Capital One Arena and Guy Fieri’s DC Kitchen + Bar and Caesars Sportsbook within its walls.
New video boards have been installed in the arena bowl to give fans access to more information than ever during games. These two-sided boards provide lovers with a comprehensive look at both on-ice action and fan reactions in the stands.
Intermissions at an arena use the ice as a video screen to keep crowds interested and entertained, especially between periods.
Over the past 20 years, Capital One Arena has hosted over 4,500 events with 47 million visitors. Since then, its surrounding neighborhood has transformed with restaurants, condominiums, and businesses opening along the Seventh Street corridor, making it an entertainment destination.
Even amid concerns of its effect on local culture, the arena has had a positive influence in its area of operation. Unfortunately, however, its construction displaced many Chinese residents and businesses from Chinatown/Penn Quarter; as a result, its Chinese population has dramatically decreased to only a fraction of what it once was when the arena first opened.
It is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
Capital One Arena not only hosts world-class sporting events, but it is also home to concerts and family shows. This venue is conveniently located near Washington D.C. Metro stations (Gallery Place-Chinatown provides access to Red, Yellow, and Green lines) and offers ample parking lots nearby.
Capital One Arena opened for business on December 2, 1997, and serves as the home for the Washington Wizards of the NBA and the Capitals of the NHL. Formerly known as MCI Center or Verizon Center before being rebranded Capital One Arena in 2017, 20,000 seats are included, and guests are invited to hang out before and after Wizards/Caps games at Guy Fieri’s Sportsbook restaurant/bar located inside Capital One Arena.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment, owner of Capital One Arena, boasts an outstanding track record in managing sports facilities. Their team members have worked closely with Muriel Bowser as mayor to ensure entire capacity operation while upholding an exceptional standard for athlete health and safety as per CDC, WHO, and DC Health protocols – and even investing in cutting-edge technologies that go above and beyond minimum standards set by these bodies.
Basketball and hockey games at the arena are among its most-attended events, often selling out the stadium. Hoyas men’s basketball team of the Big East Conference plays its home games here during winter, drawing large student attendance. Washington Mystics of the WNBA also utilize it for home games this season.
The arena is known for hosting concerts and family shows of various genres, from rock concerts to family shows of all genres. Over its history, it has hosted such notable artists as U2, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, and The Dalai Lama; additionally, it also hosted the 2003 World Figure Skating Championships held concurrently with a hockey game.
