Verizon Center

Address:601 F St. NW
Washington, District of Columbia

Without a doubt, the most important sports venue in Washington, D.C. is the Verizon Center. For the last 10 years, the Verizon Center has brought major indoor sports and entertainment to the nation's capital. Replacing the USAir Arena in suburban Landover, Maryland, the Verizon (formerly MCI) Center is home to the National Basketball Association's Washington Wizards, the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals, the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and college basketball's Georgetown University Hoyas.

In its relatively short history, "The Phonebooth" (so nicknamed because of the two phone companies which have given the arena its names) has seen some historic contests both in terms of D.C.-area and national sports. Basketball great Michael Jordan made his final comeback here as a member of the Wizards in the early 2000s, the Washington Capitals reached their only Stanley Cup Finals in the Verizon Center's first year, and huge underdog George Mason shocked Connecticut to reach the 2006 NCAA Final Four here. The Verizon Center has also hosted concerts, the circus, wrestling events, college basketball regular and postseason games, the 2003 figure skating world championship, and the 2001 NBA, and 2002 WNBA, All-Star Games.

In addition to the modern arena standards of luxury boxes, restaurants, and concession stands, the Verizon Center is unique because of the VIDA Fitness and Bang Salon. This is a full-service, 28,000 square foot, spa and fitness center, with classes, pools, and state-of-the-art equipment. All of these things combined with the arena's downtown location have revitalized the immediate area, and made it a prime entertainment and commercial destination in the Capital region.

The arena seats 20,674 for basketball, ranking it in the top five in the NBA, and 18,672 for hockey. It is located in Chinatown, and is conveniently situated above the Metro station at Gallery Place-Chinatown, on the Red, Yellow, and Green lines.