MCI Center

Lore & Background

The arena was built on a block between 6th and 7th and F and G Streets, which had suffered urban decay since the 1960s. The District government bought the land in 1973, but development plans languished until the 1990s. Before the arena, the Capitals and Wizards played at USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland. Owner Abe Pollin initially sought public financing for a new arena, but after a competing proposal from Robert Johnson, Pollin privately funded the $200 million construction. The District paid $79 million for land, site preparation, and Metro expansion, and leased the land to Pollin at $300,000 per year. The arena's development contributed to gentrification and displacement of the local Chinese-American population, which dropped from over 3,000 before construction to 300 in 2023.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the MCI Center is thick with anticipation as the lights dim over the ice. The familiar hum of the crowd rises to a crescendo when the team captain steps onto the blue line for the faceoff. In this moment, surrounded by flashing lights and flying confetti, history is made right in front of your eyes.

Reader's Guide

The arena is owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment. It features a high-definition LED scoreboard installed in 2007, a SkyRing video screen, and a sportsbook opened by William Hill in July 2020. The arena underwent a $30 million renovation in 2019–2020, including new seating, concourse improvements, and dining options. Gallery Place, a 14-screen movie theater, opened at the arena in 2004. VIDA Fitness opened its first location in the arena in 2006 and announced its closure in May 2024.

Did You Know?

• The arena's first event was a Wizards vs. Seattle SuperSonics game on December 2, 1997, with President Bill Clinton in attendance.
• The arena originally had a 25,000-square-foot Discovery Channel Store from 1998 to 2001 and the MCI National Sports Gallery from 1998 to 2000 or 2001.
• A block of F Street NW outside the arena was declared Fun Street, later renamed Abe Pollin Way in 2007.
• In June 2010, Ted Leonsis's Monumental Sports & Entertainment bought full ownership of the arena and the Wizards after Pollin's death.
• In March 2024, Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser signed a deal to keep the Capitals and Wizards in the District at least until 2050, with a massive renovation planned.