Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:1000 Chopper Place
Denver, Colorado
Our Sports Superfan Says:
If everyone else in Denver was getting a nice shiny new stadium, the Nuggets and Avalanche felt they ought to get one too; the result being the Pepsi Center. Between baseball's Rockies opening Coors Field in 1995, and football's Broncos moving into Invesco Field at Mile High in 2001, basketball's Nuggets, and hockey's Avalanche, moved from the old McNichols Sports Arena into the brand new Pepsi Center in 1999. With two major professional teams calling it home, as well as its hosting of other sporting events, and numerous concerts, Pepsi Center has been a Denver-area epicenter since its opening.
The Avs and Nuggets, who play 41 regular season games a piece at Pepsi Center, have had their share of memories here. Colorado won the franchise's second Stanley Cup championship in 2001, winning a seventh and final game at home against New Jersey. That season, Pepsi Center also hosted the NHL's All-Star Game. The Nuggets ended an eight-year run of playoff-less seasons in 2003-04, making the playoffs four straight times going into the 2007-08 season. The arena also hosted the 2005 NBA All-Star Game.
Other basketball and hockey events at Pepsi Center have included hosting the Mountain West Conference basketball Tournament from 2004-06, and NCAA postseason tournaments in both sports. Furthermore, the arena hosts Major League Lacrosse's Colorado Mammoth and Denver legend John Elway's Arena Football team, the Colorado Crush. The arena has been the home of action sports competitions and even its parking lot has been used for an open-wheel race. In addition to sports, you can also catch a concert at Pepsi Center. Acts that have appeared here have included Celine Dion, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, and other big-name performers. It is also slated to be the home of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
In addition to its Blue Sky Grill specialty restaurant, Pepsi Center is unique for its Xcel Power Zone – an area of the arena where fans can learn about the environment and get energy-saving tips.
75-minute tours of Pepsi Center are available Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from September 1 to June 1, and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from June 1 to September 1. Tours are offered at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m.on Monday and Wednesday, though only at 10 and 12 on Friday or Saturday.
Pepsi Center can be reached via mass transit on the RTD's C Line, and is located just off Interstate 25 in downtown Denver.