Capital One Arena
Home of the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoyas in the heart of D.C.
Capital One Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Washington, D.C., located in the Chinatown section of the Penn Quarter neighborhood. It opened on December 2, 1997, as MCI Center, was renamed Verizon Center in 2006, and became Capital One Arena in 2017. It is owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment and is the home arena of the Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Capitals (NHL), and Georgetown University men's basketball team.
- Opened
- 1997
- Location
- Washington, D.C., USA
- Previous Names
- MCI Center, Verizon Center
- Tenants
- Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Capitals (NHL)
- Neighborhood
- Penn Quarter
Lore & Background
Before the arena opened, the Wizards (then the Washington Bullets) and the Capitals played at USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland. The arena was built on a block between 6th and 7th and F and G Streets, which had been purchased by the District government in 1973. After a failed development attempt, owner Abe Pollin agreed to privately fund the $200 million construction, while the District paid for land, site preparation, and Metro station expansion. The groundbreaking was in October 1995, and the first event was a Capitals game against the Florida Panthers on December 2, 1997, with President Bill Clinton in attendance; the Wizards' first game followed on December 5, 1997.
In Their Own Story
The lights dimmed over Penn Quarter as the crowd began to hum with anticipation. Inside Capital One Arena, the air was thick with the scent of popcorn and anticipation. A veteran guard dribbled near midcourt, the squeak of sneakers echoing loudly in the sudden quiet before the tip-off. Fans stood in unison, red and blue jerseys filling every section from floor level to the upper deck. As the ball hit the hoop for a buzzer-beater, the roar that followed shook the very foundation of the building, a testament to decades of loyalty.
Reader's Guide
The arena sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. It features spectator seats built vertically for better views, an indoor high-definition LED scoreboard installed in 2007, and a SkyRing video screen added during a $30 million renovation in 2019–2020. In July 2020, a William Hill sportsbook opened at the arena, the first brick-and-mortar sportsbook in the District and the first at a professional sports venue in the United States.
Did You Know?
- The arena was originally named MCI Center, then Verizon Center, and became Capital One Arena in 2017.
- The arena's construction contributed to the gentrification of the surrounding area and the displacement of most of its Asian-American residents.
- A block of F Street NW outside the arena was declared Fun Street and later renamed Abe Pollin Way in 2009.
- The arena hosted a Discovery Channel Store from 1998 to 2001 and the MCI National Sports Gallery from 1998 to 2000 or 2001.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Capital One Arena located?
The arena sits in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of downtown Washington, D.C. Its central-city placement was a deliberate choice to pull professional basketball out of the suburbs and into the heart of the capital.
What was Capital One Arena called before?
Longtime fans will remember the building as the MCI Center and later the Verizon Center. Those were successive naming-rights deals; the structure itself has been the Wizards' home since it opened in 1997.
What teams play at Capital One Arena?
The arena is the shared home of the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals. It's one of the few U.S. venues that serves as the primary home for two major professional sports teams at the same time.
Why did the Wizards move from the Capital Centre to Capital One Arena?
Leaving the aging Capital Centre in suburban Landover for a brand-new downtown building in 1997 was a cultural reset for D.C. basketball. It put the franchise directly in the nation's capital and gave fans a modern, walkable experience instead of a drive out to Maryland.
What else happens at Capital One Arena besides Wizards games?
The venue regularly hosts major concerts, comedy tours, and large-scale live events alongside its sports calendar. For fans, that means the same seats that hosted a heated playoff series might be reconfigured for a headlining show just days later.
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