Pepsi Center

Before the Pepsi Center was built in 1999, the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche played their games in McNichols Arena (which has since been razed to complete a parking lot for the football stadium). It was more than time for a new venue; McNichols did the trick for nearly a quarter-century, but the facility desperately needed updating, and an update is exactly what the city got with the Pepsi Center. Besides the Nuggets and the Avs, it’s home to the Colorado Mammoth, Denver’s professional lacrosse team, and frequently hosts NCAA tournaments. On the other end of the entertainment spectrum, the Pepsi Center is the go-to venue for large-scale concerts (Roger Waters and Madonna have both played there, to name just a couple) in town. Located conveniently close to downtown Denver and the Auraria campus, the center also offers free facility tours on a regular basis.