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HISTORY:

Originally known as the MCI Center, the $260 million Verizon Center opened in 1997 in the heart of downtown Washington and has helped bring a $6.2 billion revitalization to the Chinatown area, according to the arena website. The marquee is written in English and Chinese. Fans can visit the Sports Gallery and Hall of Fame, an interactive exhibit area filled with memorabilia. Debuting for the 2007-2008 season, the high-definition LED scoreboard is the first of its kind indoors, according to the arena's website. The "Phone Booth," as it is also commonly known, is home to the NHL's Capitals, WNBA's Mystics and Georgetown University's basketball team. The arena hosted the 2009 NCAA men's hockey tournament (aka, the Frozen Four). More than 220 events are held at the Verizon Center each year, according to the arena's website.

SEATING NOTES:

• Suite Level I , II and III locations are not shown in the map. Availability is only indicated in the legend.
• Lower Level Sections 100-103, 108-114 and 119-121 include Rows A-T.
• Upper Level Sections 400-413 and 421-433 include Rows A-Q.
• Upper Level Sections 414-120 include Rows A-M.
• Suite tickets must be specified as Level I, II or III in order to map properly.

Address:

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

Directions:

From northern Virginia, west of the District: I-66, continue to Constitution Avenue; turn left on Seventh Street Northwest.

From northern Virginia, south of the District: I-395 North across the 14th Street Bridge. Bear right, staying on 395 North and take the 12th Street exit. Make a right onto Constitution Avenue. Turn left on Seventh Street Northwest. (During rush hour, turn left on Sixth Street.)

From Baltimore, Annapolis and areas served by Maryland Route 50: Maryland Route 50 to New York Avenue. Continue to downtown Washington and turn left on Seventh Street Northwest.

From Baltimore, Philadelphia or New York: I-95 toward Richmond on the Capital Beltway. Take Exit 22 onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, at the split follow Route 50 (which eventually turns into New York Avenue) to Washington, turn left on Seventh Street Northwest.

From Frederick, Md., and points north on I-270: I-495 toward Baltimore; take Exit 33 to Connecticut Avenue south to downtown Washington. When in the downtown area, follow signs to Verizon Center.

Parking:

Verizon Center has its own parking garage underneath the building, located on Sixth Street Northwest, which is available for $20 for most events. The garage opens 90 minutes before game/show time and closes an hour after the conclusion of the game or event. In some instances, the Verizon Center garage will be closed to the general public for events, in which case several public parking garages near the building would be viable options, including Gallery Place's parking garage on Sixth Street Northwest and the parking garage next to Rosa Mexicano restaurant on F Street Northwest. There are at least 10,000 parking spaces located within blocks of the arena.

Transportation:

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) has four convenient stops near Verizon Center -- Gallery Place, Metro Center, Archives and Judiciary Square. The Gallery Place stop is under Verizon Center and is the most convenient with metro stations at Gallery Place-Chinatown (Red, Yellow and Green lines). Metro hours are Monday to Friday, 5:30 a.m. to midnight; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to midnight. For more information, call (202) 637-7000 or visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Web site.