Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

Photo: APK, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

AttractionsFamily FavoriteDate Night

Capital One Arena

601 F St NW · Washington, DC

Why you should go…

Capital One Arena fills the block between 6th and 7th and F and G Streets NW in the Chinatown section of Penn Quarter. It is home to the NHL's Washington Capitals, the NBA's Washington Wizards and Georgetown men's basketball, and it hosts touring concerts between games. The building opened in 1997 as MCI Center and is being renovated in phases through 2028. It sits atop the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro station.

  • #sports arena
  • #nba
  • #nhl
  • #concerts
  • #live events

Good to know

General attractions guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Book the time slot, not just the ticket

    Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.

  • Grab the daily schedule on arrival

    Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.

  • The first hour is the quietest

    Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.

  • Budget past the ticket price

    Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Capital One Arena, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    History Buff

    National Portrait Gallery

    Free

    Meet the people who shaped the country through paintings, photographs and sculpture, including a full gallery of presidential portraits.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Smithsonian American Art Museum

    Free

    Browse American art from the colonial era to today, watch conservators at work, and wander thousands of objects in open storage.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Theatre & Events
    History Buff

    Ford's Theatre

    Under $25

    Stand in the theatre where Lincoln was shot, then cross the street to the Petersen House where the story ended.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    International Spy Museum

    $25–$50

    Crack codes, adopt a cover identity, and squeeze through ductwork at the world's largest espionage museum.

    1.0 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Hidden-in-plain-sight

    Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building

    Free

    The world's largest library, and arguably DC's most beautiful interior, the Great Hall, the Main Reading Room, and a Gutenberg Bible.

    1.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    History Buff

    George Washington's Mount Vernon

    $25–$50

    George Washington's riverside estate: mansion tours, gardens, farm animals, and sweeping Potomac views.

    14 mi awayMore like this