 | |
 Capital One Arena in November 2023 | |
| Former names | MCI Center (1997–2006) Verizon Center (2006–2017) |
|---|---|
| Address | 601 F Street NW |
| Location | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′53″N77°1′15″W / 38.89806°N 77.02083°W /38.89806; -77.02083 |
| Public transit |  Washington Metro   atGallery Place |
| Owner | Monumental Sports & Entertainment |
| Capacity | 20,356 (basketball) 18,573 (ice hockey)[1][2] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 18, 1995 |
| Opened | December 2, 1997 |
| Construction cost | US$260 million (US$487 million in 2024 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Ellerbe Becket[4] Devrouax & Purnell[4] KCF-SHG Architects[4] |
| Project manager | John Stranix and Seagull Bay Sports, LLC[5] |
| Structural engineer | Delon Hampton & Associates[6] |
| Services engineer | John J. Christie Associates[4] |
| General contractor | Clark/Smoot[7] |
| Tenants | |
| Washington Wizards (NBA) (1997–present) Washington Capitals (NHL) (1997–present) Georgetown Hoyas (NCAA) (1997–present) Washington Mystics (WNBA) (1998–2018) Washington Power (NLL) (2001–2002) Washington Valor (AFL) (2017–2019) | |
| Website | |
| capitalonearena | |
Capital One Arena is anindoor arena inWashington, D.C. Located in theChinatown section of the largerPenn Quarter neighborhood, the arena sits atop theGallery Place rapid transit station of theWashington Metro. The arena was opened on December 2, 1997 asMCI Center, but renamed toVerizon Center in 2006 whenMCI was acquired byVerizon Communications. The name was changed to Capital One Arena in 2017 whenCapital One bank, headquartered in nearbyTysons, Virginia, purchased the naming rights.
Owned and operated byMonumental Sports & Entertainment, it is the home arena of theWashington Capitals of theNational Hockey League (NHL), theWashington Wizards of theNational Basketball Association (NBA), and theGeorgetown University men's basketball team. It was also home to theWashington Mystics of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1998 to 2018, after which they moved to theCareFirst Arena insoutheast Washington for the 2019 season. The arena project was a commercial success for its backers.
The development of the arena has contributed to thegentrification of the surrounding area, the displacement of most of itsAsian-American residents (the localChinese-American population, which numbered over 3,000 before the arena's construction, was a mere 300 in 2023), and the replacement of most of the small businesses and restaurants that served the Asian-American community by national chains.[8][9][10][11]
The block where the arena was built, between 6th and 7th and F and G Streets, historically held a mix of residences and small businesses.[12] By the 1960s, it was suffering fromurban decay, like much of the eastern end ofDowntown Washington.[12] In 1973, while theGallery Place Metro station was being developed below it, the District government bought the land in hopes of redeveloping it.[13] Capital Landmark Associates was selected in 1979 to develop the site with a planned mixed-use complex including retail, offices, apartments, and a hotel.[13] Most of the remaining buildings on the site were demolished in 1985.[12] The project languished for many years but never materialized, and was finally canceled in 1992.[12]
Before the arena's opening, the Capitals and the Wizards (then known as the Washington Bullets) played atUSAir Arena in the Washington suburb ofLandover, Maryland. The teams experienced subpar attendance because the location was inconvenient for both Washington and Baltimore residents, and their arena, though only 20 years old, was not up to the standards of other NBA and NHL venues.[14][15][16] In December 1993,Abe Pollin, the owner of both teams, began studying options to move the teams to a new arena to be built with public financing, with possible locations including Baltimore, downtown Washington, andLaurel, Maryland.[17][18]
A group of Washington business leaders brokered a deal between Pollin and the District government to build an arena at the Gallery Place site, with the District paying for the $150 million project, which was envisioned to have shopping, food, and exhibitors for daily use even when there was no arena event.[19][20][21] TheD.C. Council approved a special tax on businesses to finance the deal.[21] However, a competing proposal soon emerged, whenRobert Johnson, head ofBlack Entertainment Television, offered to build the arena with mostly private financing.[22] With the arena deal facing criticism amid theDistrict's budget crisis, Pollin eventually agreed to privately fund the construction of the building, which ultimately came to $200 million[23][24] (US$375 million in 2024 dollars[3]). The District would pay for other costs, including purchasing the portion of the land it did not already own, preparing the site, and expanding the Metro station; these eventually amounted to $79 million[24][25] (US$141 million in 2024 dollars[3]). The District leased the land to Pollin at a below-market rate of $300,000 per year.[26][27]
Anaming rights deal was struck withMCI Communications to name the arena as theMCI Center.[28] Thegroundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in October 1995.[29] On December 2, 1997, the arena held its first event, a game between the Wizards and theSeattle SuperSonics, with PresidentBill Clinton in attendance.[30] The arena had a 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2)Discovery Channel Store from 1998 to 2001[31] and the MCI National Sports Gallery, an interactive sports museum with interactive games, memorabilia, and the American Sportscasters Hall of Fame inside from 1998 to 2000 or 2001 which was repurposed for office space. Clinton toured the gallery before the game, playing the museum games.[32][33][34] A block of F Street NW between 6th and 7th Street NW outside the arena was declared Fun Street, complete with signage.[35][36] This block later was declared Abe Pollin Way in 2007.[37] The arena was noted for building spectator seats vertically rather than out, creating better views for all attending albeit with limited leg room in the upper levels, as well as spacious quarters for players and coaches with advanced competitive research technology.[38] The arena concourse featured multimedia arenaNet stations where fans could check scores, watch highlights, and send digital postcards over email.[39][40] These replaced an abandoned idea to have smart seats with televisions and technology that was scrapped due to technological challenges.[41] Arena technology was powered by a virtual LAN software and switching technology called ArenaNET fromCabletron Systems.[42]
In 1999, a group led by technology executiveTed Leonsis bought a 36% stake in Pollin's holdings, including the MCI Center, as well as full ownership of the Capitals.[43][44] The Leonsis group increased its stake to 44% in 2000.[44]
In January 2006,Verizon Communications purchased MCI and the arena's name was changed accordingly toVerizon Center.[8] VIDA Fitness opened its first location in the arena that same year.[45] The following year, in 2007, the "first true indoor high-definitionLEDscoreboard" was installed in the arena.[46][47] In May 2024, VIDA Fitness announced that they would close their Gallery Place location.[48] Gallery Place, a 14-screen movie theater, opened at Capital One Arena in 2004.
In June 2010, following Pollin's death in November 2009, the Leonsis group, newly organized asMonumental Sports & Entertainment, bought out Pollin's interests, gaining full ownership of the arena and the Wizards.[49]
A report emerged in May 2015 that Verizon would not renew its naming rights to the Verizon Center when its agreement with Monumental was to end in 2018.[50][51] In the same week, it was announced thatEtihad Airways signed a deal to become the official airline of the arena, sparking speculation that Etihad might be the leading contender to assume naming rights in 2017.[52] However, on August 9, 2017, it was announced that the bankCapital One had purchased the rights, renaming the venue Capital One Arena.[53][54][55] In October 2024, it was revealed that Etihad Airways is no longer the official airline for Capital One Arena asUnited Airlines (which operates a hub atDulles International Airport) was chosen as the new official airline.[56]
In 2019 and 2020, Monumental Sports undertook a $30 million renovation of the arena. This included completely replacing the arena's seating, improving the concourse, and altering many of the arena's dining options. A new, larger overhead video board was also added as well as a new SkyRing video screen that goes around the top of the arena.[57][58]
In July 2020, bookmakerWilliam Hill opened asportsbook at the arena, following the 2018 legalization of sports betting in Washington.[59] It was the first brick-and-mortar sportsbook in the District, and the first to open at a professional sports venue in the United States.[59]
On June 23, 2023,The Washington Post reported that Monumental Sports was considering moving the Capitals and Wizards to a new arena in theNational Landing area ofArlington inNorthern Virginia if the Washington, D.C. government did not invest in upgrades to the arena and surrounding area. Despite this, the article outlined that the city intended on continuing its dialogue with the company to keep both teams in Capital One Arena.[60] Monumental later pivoted to a part of the National Landing area lying in a different Northern Virginia jurisdiction, announcing on December 13, 2023, that it planned to build the new arena in thePotomac Yard area ofAlexandria.[61] Under the revised plan, Capital One Arena would have remained in use as a concert and event venue during the NBA and NHL seasons, and also become the permanent home of Monumental'sWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, theWashington Mystics.[62] In March 2024, after officials in Alexandria announced that the $2 billion entertainment and sports complex plans were scrapped, Washington, D.C. mayorMuriel Bowser announced that she had signed a deal with both teams' majority owner, Ted Leonsis, to keep the Capitals and Wizards in the District "at least until 2050."[63] The deal will see a massive renovation to the arena which will be completed by 2028 in six phases, changing the exterior and interior that will include new technology and improved fan experiences.[64]
Capital One Arena is in the early stages of a multi-year $850 million renovation that will completely alter the exterior and parts of the interior of the arena. $515 million is coming from the District of Columbia government, while the rest is being paid for byMonumental Sports and Entertainment, which owns the teams. The renovation is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2027-2028 NHL and NBA seasons.[65]
The indoor parade of thesecond inauguration of Donald Trump took place in the arena on January 20, 2025.[66]
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The arena has been home to the CapitalsNHL team since its opening. As a result, numerous memorable moments in franchise history have occurred in the arena. The arena hosted games three and four of the1998 Stanley Cup Finals, when the Capitals lost to theDetroit Red Wings in four games. The Red Wings hoisted the namesakeStanley Cup in the arena on June 16, 1998, after winning game four by a score of 4–1. On April 5, 2008, the Capitals won the Southeast Division in the last game of the regular season, after beating theFlorida Panthers 3–1. Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Capitals and thePittsburgh Penguins, played on May 4, 2009, saw duelinghat tricks from Ovechkin and rivalSidney Crosby of thePittsburgh Penguins, culminating in a 4–3 victory for Washington thanks to an additional goal fromDavid Steckel.[67] The arena also hosted games three and four of the2018 Stanley Cup Finals. The Capitals won both games and then went on to win game five inLas Vegas to capture the Stanley Cup for the first major sports championship for a Washington, D.C. team since the1991 Washington Redskins. The Capitals had their Stanley Cup banner installation ceremony in the arena before their first game of the next season, which took place on October 3, 2018.
On April 4, 2025, withWayne Gretzky and commissionerGary Bettman in attendance, Ovechkin scored goals 893 and 894 in a 5-3 Capitals win over theChicago Blackhawks. This tied him with Gretzky for the all-time goals record.
The arena hosted the 2009 "Frozen Four", the final round of the2009 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournamentBoston University tookMiami OH in overtime 4–3.
TheJMU vsUVA non-varsity club teams played a 60 min thrilling rink-of-dreams-style match shortly afterWashington's win againstNew York UVA Took JMU 6–4.
The inaugural 2024 Capital Hockey Classic took place on December 12, 2024, This event marked the first full-fledged college hockey event since the2009 D1 Finals. It featured military and club collegiate ice hockey teams.
The Capital Hockey Classic aimed to capture attention, especially since it occurred just two days before theArmy-Navy game at the nearbyNorthwest Stadium. The event included two matches: the first game featuredArmy vsNavy Club hockey at 5PM, followed by theArmy Black Knights vs. thePenn State Nittany LionsD1 match at 7PM.
On January 18, 2026, theProfessional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) will play their first game in Washington, D.C. between theMontreal Victoire andNew York Sirens.
The arena has been home to the WizardsNBA team since its opening and was home to theWashington MysticsWNBA team from 1998 to 2018, before the Mystics moved toa new, smaller arena in theCongress Heights area ofsoutheast Washington. In 2024, the Mystics relocated their June 7 and September 19 games against theIndiana Fever to Capital One Arena, citing the demand of tickets as a result of the rising popularity ofCaitlin Clark.[68][69] TheGeorgetown Hoyas men's basketball team has also played there since the arena's opening. The arena has hosted three basketball all star games: the2001 NBA All-Star Game and the2002 and2007 WNBA All-Star Games. The arena has been home to many playoff games, but has yet to host anNBA Finals.
The arena has hosted games for theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament several times. It hosted first- and second-round games in 1998, 2002, 2008 and 2011, and hosted the regional finals in 2006, 2013 and 2019.[70] Most notably the2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team from nearbyFairfax, Virginia advanced to the Final Four in the arena. The arena also hosted theAtlantic 10 men's basketball tournament in 2018 and 2022. It hosted theACC men's basketball tournament in 2005, 2016, and 2024. In 2017 the arena hosted theBig Ten men's basketball tournament.
TheHarlem Globetrotters play in the arena on an annual basis, often against theWashington Generals, a team named in honor of PresidentDwight Eisenhower.
Mike Tyson's final non-exhibition fight (Mike Tyson vs. Kevin McBride) was held at the arena on June 11, 2005.[71] On June 19, 2011,WWE Capitol Punishment was held at the arena, featuring:John Cena,Rey Mysterio,CM Punk,Randy Orton,Big Show andThe Miz.[72] On October 1, 2011,UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson was held at the arena.[73] On December 7, 2019,UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik was held at the arena. The arena is also set to hostthe 42nd edition ofSaturday Night's Main Event on December 13, 2025, which will featureJohn Cena's final match in his 26-year career.
In 2017, theWashington Valor began play at the arena for their inaugural season in theArena Football League.[74] The Valor folded in 2019 and the arena has not hosted an Arena League game since.
The arena hosted the2003 World Figure Skating Championships and the 2016 Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions.[75]
The arena is a major location for concerts and cultural events in the D.C. region. Among the musical performers, cultural figures, and entertainment shows that have performed at the arena areBeyoncé,Destiny's Child,Alicia Keys,Missy Elliott,Olivia Rodrigo,Duran Duran,Ricardo Arjona,Kylie Minogue,Janet Jackson,Mariah Carey,Muse,Paul McCartney,Queen,U2,Iron Maiden,Shakira,Lady Gaga,Madonna,Britney Spears,The Three Tenors,Drake,Barbra Streisand,Bon Jovi,Prince,Tim McGraw,Faith Hill,the Dalai Lama,Tina Turner,Keith Urban,Paul Simon,Sting,The Police,Taylor Swift,Tame Impala,Coldplay,Tyler, the Creator,Elton John,Usher,Green Day,Blink-182,The Who,Bad Bunny,Billie Eilish,Dua Lipa,Harry Styles,Trans-Siberian Orchestra,Cage the Elephant,Monster Jam,Disney on Ice,Ateez,Seventeen,NCT Dream,Jonas Brothers,AJR,IU,Howard University graduation speech by U.S. presidentJoe Biden, and aMichelle Obama book tour event.
TheWashington International Horse Show took place every October in the arena for more than 20 years through 2019, after which it was moved out because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
The arena served as the venue forU.S. presidentDonald Trump'sinaugural parade on January 20, 2025. The day before, Trump held a rally in the arena.[76]
The arena has hosted variousprofessional wrestling events; it hosted the final four editions ofWCW'sStarrcade pay-per-view, followed byWWE'sBacklash in2000,SummerSlam in2005,Cyber Sunday in2007,Survivor Series in2009,Capitol Punishment in 2011,Battleground in2016, and the arena will hostSaturday Night's Main Event XLII in 2025. The arena frequently hostsRaw andSmackDown shows as well.
On October 2, 2019, Capital One Arena hosted the series premiere ofAEW Dynamite, the first weekly television series ofAll Elite Wrestling (AEW).[77]
When the arena opened, there was concern that it would lead to the displacement of Chinese businesses and culture in the area that is the city'sChinatown.[78] The surrounding area has indeed been dramaticallygentrified, and most of the Chinese residents and businesses who lived and operated in the neighborhood when the arena first opened have been displaced because of the spike in real estate prices.[79] 2011 estimates hold that the number of Chinese in the neighborhood is down to around 400 to 500.[79] The Chinese-owned restaurants and businesses in the Chinatown area are largely gone and there has not been a full-service Chinese grocery in the neighborhood since 2005.[79]
Asimilar stadium project proposed forPhiladelphia's Chinatown sparked comparisons in 2023 to the Capital One Arena, and caused significant community backlash prior to its cancellation.[80]
In December 2007, then-Capitals captainChris Clark stated that he believed the arena had the worst ice in the NHL. "There's a lot of ruts in the ice. It's soft. It's wet half the time. I could see a lot of injuries coming from the ice there. It could cost [players] their jobs... Even guys on other teams say the same thing. When we're facing off, they say, 'How do you guys play on this?'" Capitals ownerTed Leonsis addressed this criticism directly.[81] The ice quality issue has been persistent both since the opening of the facility and with the Capitals franchise in general.[82] Since Leonsis' acquisition of the facility, the quality of the ice has improved[according to whom?] and the number of complaints has noticeably decreased. During playoff games, the arena installs additional portable refrigeration units outside the arena to aid the ice conditions during the warm and humid summer months.[83]
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| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by first arena | Home of the Washington Mystics 1998–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Home of the Washington Capitals 1997 – present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by | Home of the Washington Wizards 1997 – present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by | Host of the Frozen Four 2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of the Survivor Series 2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of WWE Cyber Sunday 2007 | Succeeded by |
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