Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)

Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. Owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, it is the home arena of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League, the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association, the Georgetown University men’s basketball team, and the Washington Valor of the Arena Football League. It was also home to the Washington Mystics of the Women’s National Basketball Association from 1998 to 2018, but that team will move to the new St. Elizabeths East Arena in southeast Washington, beginning with the 2019 season.

General information

Official website: https://capitalonearena.viewlift.com/

Arena capacity: 20,356 spectators

Address: 601 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 38°53′53″N 77°1′15″W

Year of construction: December 2, 1997

Construction cost: $406 million

Field: 1,020,000 square feet (95,000 m2)

Seating plan of the Capital One Arena

Gold Seats and Box Seats

The Gold Seats, Owner’s Box and Scorer’s Table are the names given to courtside seating at a Wizards game. These seats occupy the first two rows of baseline seating (rows AA/BB), the first row (AA) on the North side of the court, and seats in between the player benches.This area is considered the ultimate place to sit for a basketball game thanks to amazing views and upscale amenities.

Located behind the Gold Seats on the baseline are Box Seats East and West. While these seats won’t have the awe-inspiring courtside views, they are a less-expensive way to enjoy an upscale experience from within 10 rows of the court.

For Wizards games, ticketholders in the Gold VIP sections receive access to the club lounge where an upscale selection of complimentary menu items await. Fans seated here will also receive all-inclusive beer, wine and soda, along with in-seat wait service so you never have to leave your seats.

VIP Seats

(Rows AA-CC are part of the VIP Seats)

Among the most sought-after seats at the Verizon Center are those in the sideline sections of the lower level. Fans lucky enough to be seated in the first three rows of these sections (AA-CC) will enjoy special amenities in these VIP Seats.

During Wizards games, VIP seats offer club lounge access where complimentary food and beverages are served. If you prefer to stay glued to your seat, you can still enjoy in-seat wait service on a number of menu items. These seats offer fans a far less expensive all-inclusive experience when compared to the VIP seats of the Gold Seats located courtside.

PwC Club

For one of the most exclusive and upscale experiences at a Wizards game, consider tickets in the PwC Club. These club seats span the west baseline above sections 221-224. Club seating offers luxurious seating in a private club setting.

PwC Club ticketholders will have exclusive access to the chef’s table buffet where a highly-regarded selection of complementary fare await. Fans will be seated at a ledge with fully unobstructed views of the court. Each ledge space is individually set with fine plates, silverware and cloth napkins, making it the perfect place to entertain or impress a guest.

Fans attending this new redesigned PwC Club will receive all-inclusive menus which included beer, wine, and food inspired by celebrity chefs. The first two rows feature large, oversized leather seats with their own personal tray for food. In the third row, you won’t have the oversized seat, but you will have a bar top for your food and beverage along with a USB port to stay charged.

Recommended Seats for Kids and Family

Sections 401, 402 and 403:

• Near a lot of concessions including a place to get ice cream, great for kids;
• Close to a merchandise store, great place to pick up souvenirs;
• Ticket prices in the lower tier.

Recommended Seats for Impressing a Guest

Sections 101 and 121:

• Close to the action on the lowest level of seating;
• Right behind the player benches;
• Seats near the front can almost feel like they are in the huddles with the players.

Recommended Seats for Partying and Socializing

Sections 426, 427 and 428:

• Near a liquor bar on the upper level;
• Close to restrooms;
• Ticket prices in the lower tier, saves money that can be spent on alcohol.

Recommended Seats for Great Views of the Court

Sections 100 and 111:

• Amazing views from near mid-court;
• Close to the action on the lowest level of seating;
• Chance to be near the players and maybe even hear what they are saying while on the court.

Where to buy tickets?

Box Office Hours

• Regular Business Hours (Non-Event Days): Monday-Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm.  The box office is closed on non-event Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day Weekend.
• Event Days: Monday-Sunday: the box office opens at 10:00 am.
• Holidays: Capital One Arena is closed on most major holidays unless there is an event taking place at the venue.
• New predictions for soccer, tennis, hockey, basketball, etc. are created every hour.

How to Buy Tickets

Tickets for Capital One Arena events can be purchased at the box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Tickets purchased at the Capital One Arena box office may incur a service charge (rates may vary by event), including purchases on the day of a show.

Who Needs Tickets

Children 3 years and older are required to have a ticket for all basketball, football and hockey games, as well as the Harlem Globetrotters. For Disney on Ice and Monster Jam, all children 2 years and older require a ticket.  Some family shows have a different age limit for tickets, please check the event details page for show specific information.

Tickets for concerts, family shows, and non-team events WILL NOT be available for purchase at the Box Office on the first day of public sale.  Remaining available tickets for any of these events will be available for purchase on the next business day the box office is open.

Acceptable Forms of Payment

The following forms of payment are accepted: VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and cash. No checks will be accepted. There are no refunds or exchanges on any ticket purchased for Capital One Arena concerts, games or events. If a show or event is canceled or rescheduled, refunds are available at the original point of purchase.

Capital One Arena cannot guarantee the validity of any ticket purchased from an unauthorized source.

Will Call & Ticket Delivery Options

• Will Call: Pre-purchased tickets may be picked up at the Capital One Arena Box Office. Customers must present a valid photo ID and the credit card used to purchase to pick up their tickets. Will Call opens 90 minutes prior to show time or tickets can be picked up during regular business hours.
• No questions? Place a bet now.
• Print at Home (Ticketfast): PDF: When you select PDF, you must print the ticket and bring a printed copy of the PDF to the ticket taker at the game or event. Print-at-home ticket PDFs displayed on a mobile device will NOT be an accepted form of entry. An additional ticket printing fee may apply at the Box Office.
• Mobile App: When you select the Mobile App version, a square QR code is displayed. This will be scanned by the ticket taker upon entry.
• Follow the link and get your prediction before the match starts.
• Paperless Ticketing System: Paperless ticketing is an alternative delivery method to Ticketfast, Mail or Will Call. Instead of receiving your tickets ahead of the event, your credit card will be swiped at the entrance and your tickets will print. All you need to attend the show is the credit card you used to purchase the ticket and a valid government issued ID.

Tickets from a non-authorized third-party source will NOT be allowed via mobile device.

The Hoyas use a dynamic pricing method for their tickets, meaning pricing varies based on demand, opponent, and other factors such as the day of the week the game is being played. Good seats can be had for as little as $10 for non-conference games against lower-tier opponents, but if you want to see a top-level Big East school like Villanova, expect to pay at least $30, and possibly over $100 if you want lower-level seats.

If you don’t care who you see the Hoyas play, you can have a chance to watch Big East basketball and get great seats for far less than what a comparable location would cost for other events in the arena. Tickets are still relatively affordable for the bigger games, but you’ll be paying more for worse seats.

The one downside of all this is that tickets are sold through Ticketmaster, so expect to pay far more than the listed value due to massive fees. The Ticketmaster factor is enough to take this ranking down a notch, but considering the level of play, you’re still getting a good deal.

How to get there?

Capital One Arena Address:

601 F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004

Via Metro

Capital One Arena is accessible via Metro at the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stop on the Red, Green and Yellow lines and is within walking distance of the Judiciary Square, Metro Center and Archives-Navy Memorial Penn Quarter stations.

From Airports

Ronald Reagan National Airport:

• Take the George Washington Memorial PKWY North;
• Take the I-395 North exit towards Washington;
• As the road splits, bear left onto US-1 and follow to 14th Street Bridge;
• Cross over the 14th Street bridge and stay on 14th Street NW;
• Make a right turn onto Constitution Ave. NW;
• Turn left onto 7th Street NW and Capital One Arena will be on the corner of F and 7th Streets NW.
• Find out which bookmaker you can get a sign-up bonus from.

Washington Dulles International Airport:

• Turn onto the Dulles Access Road;
• Dulles Access Road turns into I-66 East;
• Continue onto US-50 East/I-66 East;
• Take the US-50 East/Constitution Ave. NW exit;
• Stay straight to go onto Constitution Ave. NW;
• Turn left onto 7th Street NW and Capital One Arena will be on the corner of F and 7th Streets NW.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport:

• Follow Airport exit;
• Turn slight left onto I-195 West;
• Take the MD-295 South (Balt/ Wash Pkwy) ramp towards Washington;
• Merge onto 295 South towards Washington;
• Merge onto US-50 West;
• Continue on 50 West as it turns into New York Avenue NW;
• Turn left on 6th Street NW and Capital One Arena will be on the corner of F and 6th Streets NW.
• We make dozens of free sports predictions every day.

From points South/Richmond, VA:

• Follow I-95 North towards Washington;
• Take the I-395 North exit towards Washington;
• As the road splits while approaching the 14th Street bridge, bare left onto US-1 and follow to 14th Street Bridge;
• Cross over the 14th Street bridge and stay on 14th Street NW;
• Make a right turn onto Constitution Ave. NW;
• Turn left onto 7th Street NW and Capital One Arena will be on the corner of F and 7th Streets NW.
• Find the best odds for sports betting.

Note: From all points in all directions, follow signs to downtown Washington. When in the downtown area, follow signs to Capital One Arena (previously Verizon Center).

How to park at or near Capital One Arena?

We recommend booking convenient and affordable parking in advance through SpotHero, the nation’s leading parking reservation app. To reserve your parking spot, visit the Capital One Arena SpotHero Parking Page and book a spot with rates up to 50% off drive-up.

Ride With Uber

Uber is the exclusive ride-share partner of the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Capital One Arena. Whether you’re going to watch your favorite team or artist, we have your ride.

Getting Picked Up at Capital One Arena

When ready to request a ride, exit the arena and head to one of our suggested pickup locations at 6th and 7th Streets NW. After opening the app, you’ll be prompted to choose which designated Uber pickup zone you are closest too. Select the cross streets and confirm your pickup location. For more pickup tips check out Capital One Arena Rider Guide.

Public Transportation

Metro Access

The Gallery Place-Chinatown station (Red, Yellow and Green lines) is located directly under Capital One Arena.  Within walking distance, other station options include:

• Judiciary Square (Red line);
• Metro Center (Red, Orange, Silver, and Blue lines);
• Archives-Navy Memorial Penn Quarter (Green and Yellow lines).

Regular Metro Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 5 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Friday: 5 a.m. – 1 a.m.

Saturday: 7 a.m. – 1 a.m.

Sunday: 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Where to eat?

Seeing as Capital One Arena is a professional sporting venue, it does have quite a wide selection. However, the flip side of this is that what they have is quite expensive for a college venue. Additionally, many of the stands, including most of the specialty stands, will be closed for most games due to the smaller crowds compared to the Wizards and Capitals.

That being said, fans certainly won’t go hungry. Main course selections include cheeseburgers ($11.75), chicken tenders ($11.75), and Papa John’s individual pizzas ($10 for cheese or pepperoni) as well as items such as sausage and hot dogs. Snacks include popcorn for $9 and hot pretzels for $6.

Drinks include bottled water for $5 and soda for either $5 or $9.25, depending on whether or not you want a souvenir cup. Keep in mind that fountain beverages no longer come with lids or straws at Capital One Arena in an attempt to reduce environmental waste. Since Capital One is an off-campus arena, it is not too surprising that alcohol is available. Beer costs between $11 and $15 depending on the size and type.

As part of the naming rights deal, all Capital One credit or debit cardholders get a 10 percent discount on concessions throughout the arena, but this does not come off automatically and you must notify the cashier.

Hospitality Spaces at Capital One Arena

Budweiser Brewhouse

Conveniently located on the second level with views of the bustling F Street Entrance, the Budweiser Brewhouse offers a unique, welcoming space for private events throughout the year.   With a front and back room option, this space has the versatility to meet all your events’ needs.

Set Up: Theater, classroom, cocktail reception or seated event.

Room Capacity: 50-350 people.

PWC Club

Completely reimagined, redesigned and renovated in the summer of 2018, the PwC Club offers some of the most premiere sightlines in the arena, as well as delicious and creative food and drinks. The PwC club boasts unmatched comfort and convenience as the most luxurious hospitality space at Capital One Arena and is flexible for cocktail receptions or seated events.

Set Up: Cocktail reception or seated Event.

Room Capacity: 100-250 people.

Etihad Airways Lounge

Located on the event level of Capital One Arena, this spacious hospitality lounge offers our largest reception-style space.  With numerous flat screen TVs, LED screens and customized lighting options, this state-of-the-art hospitality space will surely make an impression on your guests.

Set Up: Cocktail reception.

Room Capacity: 500 people.

Beck’s Lounge

Located on the fourth level, Beck’s Lounge is a go-to party spot at Capital One Arena. An entertaining reception space lined with flat screen TVs, your guests will marvel at the giant LED wall that can be utilized to enhance any event.

Set Up: Theater, classroom, cocktail reception.

Room Capacity: 85 people.

Atmosphere

Capital One Arena is a perfect example of why bigger isn’t always better. Although the arena seats over 20,000 fans, it is rarely even close to full. Although the Hoyas’ former on-campus home is way too small at only a few thousand seats, it seems like there should be a happy medium somewhere. The arena is far too big and has a tendency to mask the crowd noise and reduce what would otherwise be an incredible atmosphere.

That being said, there are no plans to build a new arena on or off campus at any point in the future and the Hoyas seem content with playing at Capital One despite the thousands of empty seats at each home game.

The Hoyas do at least try to keep fans engaged. There is a pep band as well as cheerleaders and a dance team to pump up the crowd, and contests on the court during TV timeouts. The Hoyas’ mascot is a bulldog named Jack, and there is both a costumed version and a real live dog version. The most popular Georgetown chant is “Hoya Saxa,” which literally means something to the effect of “What rocks!” in a combination of Greek and Latin. Fans can expect to hear it several times a game.

Neighborhood

Capital One Arena is located in the Chinatown neighborhood of DC, though the area has gentrified significantly since the arena was built. The Greene Turtle is a popular sports bar located right around the corner, and b Penn Quarter (yes, they do stylize their name with a lowercase b at the beginning) is a somewhat more upscale option a few blocks away for fans looking for a burger and a brew. The Gallery Place shopping mall is also right around the corner and includes numerous stores and a movie theater.

Your best entertainment options will involve traveling a bit away from the arena, but not far. That’s because you’re in DC, the nation’s capital, and there’s a lot to do. The best part is that most of it are free. Whether it’s checking out the many memorials and monuments on and around the National Mall, visiting one of the numerous museums, or simply taking in the historic sights, there’s something for everyone here.

All government-run attractions are free to the public, though some private ones are not. Keep in mind, however, that if you wish to tour the Capitol or the White House, you will need to book that in advance.

Fans

Although Georgetown fans rarely fill Capital One Arena, they are not fully to blame for this. Once again, the arena is far bigger than it should be for Georgetown basketball and this hurts things a bit. The crowd also has a tendency to be late-arriving and many people don’t show up until a few minutes after tip-off, but when they do get here, they’re loud, passionate, and stay and cheer for the whole game. The student section is especially passionate, and most of them will stand and yell for two hours straight to cheer on their school. The fact that the arena is located off-campus doesn’t seem to bother them too much.

Ultimately, Capital One Arena could benefit from being a bit smaller, but this isn’t really the fans’ fault. While it would be nice to have the same atmosphere at tip-off that there is later in the game, Hoyas fans are among the best in the nation once they actually show up.

History

The arena was built solely with private financing by Abe Pollin, and is situated on top of land leased from the District of Columbia. It opened on December 2, 1997, as the MCI Center. Nearly a decade later Verizon Communications purchased MCI and the arena’s name was changed accordingly to Verizon Center. The following year the “first true indoor high-definition LED scoreboard” was installed in the arena. When the bank Capital One had purchased the rights, the venue was renamed Capital One Arena.

The Washington Valor began play at the arena for their inaugural season in the Arena Football League. The Mystics moved after the WNBA season to a new, smaller arena nearing completion in the Congress Heights area of southeast Washington.

The venue also hosted two Stanley Cup Finals, the latter of which saw the Capitals win the first Stanley Cup championship in team history, and the first major sports championship to Washington D.C. since the Washington Redskins.

The ice quality issue has been persistent both since the opening of the facility and with the Capitals franchise in general. Since Leonsis’ acquisition of the facility, the quality of the ice has gotten better and number of complaints has noticeably decreased. During playoff games, the arena installs a system to help remove hot air and humidity to maintain the ice conditions during warmer times of the year.