Participatory

City of Charlottesville swimming pools
Fees:

Daily Admission:

City residents: $5 adults, $1-3 kids, $3 seniors (55 and above), $1 disabled.

Non-residents: $10 adults, $2-7 kids, $7 seniors, $2 disabled.

Free for kids age 3 and under

Season passes:

Resident: $79 for two person pass ($29 for each additional person), $49 adults, $29 kids ($20 for Charlottesville City Students).

Non Resident: $168 for two person pass ($69 for each additional person), $99 adults, $69 kids, $50 seniors.

For more details about pricing, call 977-0601.

Indoor
Crow Pool, Walker Upper Elementary School, Rose Hill Drive. Lap and rec swim. Open for different hours 7 days a week. Call ahead to 977-1362 for more information.

Outdoor
Onesty Pool at Meade Park, Meade Avenue. Mid-June-Labor Day, lap and rec swim available. Open noon-8pm (7pm on Sundays).  295-7532
Washington Park Pool, Preston Avenue. Mid-June-Labor Day, lap/rec swim available. Weekdays 11am-6pm (Open 'til 7pm on Fridays). Saturdays 10am-5pm, Sundays 11am-5pm.  977-2607
McIntire Wading Pool, 250 Bypass. Bargain admission $1 residents, $2 non-residents. Call for hours: 295-9072

Albemarle County swimming holes
Swimming at all lakes Memorial Day to Labor Day. Daily 11:30am-7:30pm; County residents: $3 adults, $2 children.

Season passes:

Residents: $100 family package, $50 adults, $30 children.

Non-residents: $4.50 adults, $3 children. Season passes: $150 family, $75 adults, $45 children.

Call 296-5844 for more information.

HookTip
No wonder there's always some gray-haired fella swimming in those prescription drug ads. If you're 62 or older and you live in the County, you can get a season pass for free.

Chris Greene Lake, Rt. 29N, left on Rt. 649 (Airport Road), right on Rt. 606, left on Rt. 850 (Chris Greene Lake Road). 120 land acres, 62 water acres, two beach acres. Canoe rentals for $5/hour Memorial Day to Labor Day. Fishing, with wheelchair-accessible fishing pier; electric motor boats allowed; playground; picnic shelters. 973-3790

Mint Springs, Rt. 250W, right on Rt. 240, left on Rt. 788 (Railroad Avenue), right on Rt. 684 (Mint Springs Road), left into park. 504 land acres, eight water acres, two beach acres. Fishing, playground, picnic shelters, hiking trails. Electric motor boats allowed. 823-5889

Walnut Creek, Rt. 29S, left on Rt. 708 (Red Hill Road), right on Rt. 631 (Old Lynchburg Road), park is 1/2 mile on left. 480 land acres, 45 water acres, two beach acres. Canoe rentals for $5/hour from Memorial Day to Labor Day; fishing; electric motor boats; picnic shelters; bike trails (see Mountain Biking section below). 979-0964

Claudius Crozet Pool, 25 minutes west on Rt. 250, right on Rt. 240, right on Tabor Street, right on High Street, left on Park Road, park is on left. 22 land acres, one-acre pond, eight-lane, 25-meter swimming pool. Handicapped accessible with mushroom fountain and 0-depth entrance area. Kids $4, adults $7, seniors $3, with discounts after 6pm. Open 11am-8pm swim lessons and a swim team also available. 823-5834

Sugar Hollow, 15 miles northwest at White Hall. This reservoir and expanse of hiking trails is an easy day trip. Depending on the movement of the Moorman's River, swimming holes can be found up and down the trail. Blue Hole is the best known, about half a mile past the last parking area. Free.

Swim Clubs
These are private clubs with membership fees. Call clubs for rates.

Fry's Spring Beach Club, 2512 Jefferson Park Ave. This historic recreation site in the city offers tennis courts and beach volleyball, too. A new 50-meter lap pool plus middle-depth and baby pool areas lie beneath towering oaks and maples. 296-4181

Blue Ridge Swim Club, Rt. 250W to right turn on Owensville Road, entrance is 1.2 miles on right. 100 yards long and 10 yards wide, this pool is actually spring-fed from a stream and is only lightly chlorinated, so it resembles lake water. 977-3937

ACAC Adventure Central, 200 Four Seasons Drive. ACAC operates eight clay tennis courts, a family learning center, and a water park including three outdoor pools, water slides, and a grill pavilion in a park-like setting. 978-7529

Boar's Head Sports Club, Rt. 250W behind the Boar's Head Inn. Swimming, tennis, golf at Birdwood, and a fitness center. 296-2181

Fairview Swim & Tennis Club, Rt. 651 (Freestate Road), Six-lane, 25-meter pool with diving well and toddler pools. Courts for volleyball, tennis, and basketball. 973-7946

Glenmore, Farmington, and Keswick country clubs: Swimming, tennis, golf, and fine dining are just some of the amenities offered to members. Farmington (296-5661) is west of town in Ivy; Glenmore (977-8865) and Keswick (979-3440) are east of town in Keswick. Take your pick. 

There's even a YMCA in this area, the Piedmont Family YMCA. It's on Westfield Road (near the old DMV). This local program serves over 5,000 local kids per year with a year-round swim team along with basketball, wrestling, soccer, cheerleading, youth leadership training, judo, etc. 974-9622.

The hot summer kids competition is the 15-team Jefferson Swim League, 975-5001

Youth Baseball and Softball
Central Little League- Tee-ball to kid pitch for ages 5-12. 284-2173

Cove Creek Baseball and Softball- Tee-ball to senior league/fast pitch  ages 5-15 in a picturesque setting. Look closely and you might see a best-selling author on the groundskeeping crew. 970-2255

Lane Babe Ruth League- Big-kid ball, ages 13-18. 977-5772

McIntire Little League- Tee-ball and lower minors league for ages 5-8, upper minor league and major league for kids ages 8-12. Fall ball, too. 817-5100

Monticello Little League- Tee-ball to major league ages 5 to 13 plus fall ball for kids 8-11. 882-1962

Northside Cal Ripken Baseball- Tee-ball to major league ages 4-12. 980-1256

Peachtree Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth- Tee-ball to Babe Ruth levels for ages 4-15.  456-6544

Piedmont Little League Baseball and Softball- League merged with Monticello Little League and will operate under its name. See above listing for more information

Adult Slow-Pitch Softball
City League- Hundreds of men's, women's and co-rec teams from the city and surrounding counties participated in 2008. 970-3271

Adult Coed Flag Football
Charlottesville Sports & Social Club- Flag football seasons for the spring and the fall.  CSSC has a seven-game regular season followed by playoffs. The cost is $42 per player. 825-9804.

Adult Coed Kickball
Charlottesville Sports & Social Club- Relive old memories and playground glory in the league's spring and summer seasons. Cost is $42 per player. 825-9804.

Adult Coed Dodgeball
Charlottesville Sports & Social Club- Learn the 5 D's of dodgeball (Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge) in a competitive league setting. Space is limited for the summer and winter seasons, so early registration is encouraged. $43.50 per player. 825-9804.

Adult Coed Beach Volleyball
Charlottesville Sports & Social Club- Dig deep in this fast-growing and newly Olympic sport. $43.50 per player. 825-9804.

Soccer
SOCA (Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albemarle), 370 Greenbrier Drive. Soccer fun for the whole family. SOCA competition can be fierce, not only on the field, but just trying to enroll in the program. Be warned: Classes fill up months before play begins. But for a city- and countywide bonding experience with energetic kids and enthusiastic parents, this organization can't be beat. 975-5025

Monticello United Soccer Club- The club has openings for teams from the U11 to the U19 age groups. Call 974-4625.

Mountain Biking
O-Hill, McCormick Road to Observatory Road, look for trails. Right in the City-- or, actually, on UVA property-- these five or six miles of single-track are some of the most challenging around. Free.

Walnut Creek Park, Rt 29 S, left on Rt. 708/Red Hill Road, right on Rt. 631/Old Lynchburg Road; park is half mile on left. Fifteen miles of trails, ranging from beginner to most difficult, located about seven miles south of town. $3 county residents, $4.50 nonresidents. 979-0964

Fishing and Hunting
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries To reach the state headquarters, call 804-367-1000 or contact the local office at 540-899-4169. To report poaching, call the Albemarle police at 977-9041 (911 if it's an emergency).

Horseback riding
Wintergreen: Ski resort goes equine in warm weather. Rides $15 for 15 minutes, trail rides $56-$66 weekdays and $58-$68 weekends, lessons $40-$60, and summer sunset picnick rides $95. 325-8260
Graves Mountain Lodge: In Madison County. $35/person/hour, $75/half day.

Horse watching
It's an hour southwest of here, but if you dig equestrian events, this is the place: The Virginia Horse Center. Exit 191 off I-81 south. 540-464-2950. It has a 4,000-seat indoor coliseum and also houses the American Work Horse Museum with authentic plows, yokes, etc.-- open when there are events at the Center.

Tennis
Albemarle High School: eight courts with lights, 2775 Hydraulic Road. 
Western Albemarle High School: four courts with lights, 5941 Rockfish Gap Turnpike, Crozet. 
Jack Jouett Middle School: two courts, no lights, 2065 Lambs Road. 
Sutherland Middle School: two courts, no lights, 2801 Powell Creek Drive. 
Darden Towe Memorial Park: four courts, no lights, Rt. 20N. 
Charlottesville High School: seven courts, four with lights, 1400 Melbourne Road. 
Pen Park: eight courts, no lights, Pen Park Road off Rio Road. 
Tonsler Park: four courts with lights, Fifth Street Ext. 
Monticello High School: four courts, hard surfaces, lights. 1400 Independence Way, one mile past the Monticello Visitor Center.
UVA's Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center: 13 courts with lights, corner of University Avenue and Emmet Street.

Rowing
Rivanna Rowing Club, Rivanna Reservoir. Teaches rowing to novices and stages competitive events in the summer. 978-2092

Running
Popular here. Biggest annual race is the Charlottesville 10-Miler, which will take over city streets in the early morning of Saturday, April 5, 2008. Email [email protected]

One new gig locally is the Charlottesville Marathon. Like the 10-Miler, it happens in April, but unlike the 10-Miler, which takes place downtown, organizers promise the best of both city and country on raceday, April 19, 2009. Runner's World rated it one of the the 10 best new marathons in the country. 293-7115

Serving Charlottesville's running community since 1976, the Charlottesville Track Club hosts a number of races throughout the year and offers several training programs for everyone from beginner to seasoned road warrior. The Ragged Mountain Running shop serves as the club's information headquarters with all the latest on upcoming events. Info line 293-6115.

Frisbee
Charlottesville Ultimate Disc Organization
Kudos to CUDO for unifying all those with a love for ultimate frisbee.  They provide "venues for recreational and competitive ultimate frisbee through organization of pick-up games, summer and winter leagues." Info at http://www.cvilleultimate.org/

Guns
The Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club
A private shooting club on 100 acres off Old Lynchburg Road with everything from trap and skeet to an indoor range to archery. To become a member, you have to join NRA first, produce four letters of recommendation and be able to prove you have undergone a background check recently. More info at http://www.rrpc.org.

Motorboating
The two most popular spots: Lake Anna in Louisa County and Lake Monticello in its namesake community in Fluvanna County.

By the way, it's illegal in Virginia to operate any motorboat-- even a canoe with a tiny electric motor-- without registering with the state. There's a minimum 2 percent watercraft sales tax and $20 minimum registration fee. Call the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' Automated Boat Registration Hotline at 1-877-898-BOAT (2628).

Golf
Birdwood: A semi-private 18-hole, 72-par featuring driving range, practice bunker and chipping green. $50 M-Th; $62 F-Sun. Discounts for UVA students. Tee times can be reserved up to seven days in advance. 293-4653

Farmington: Private 27-hole course with driving range and restaurant, this country club green is available to members and guests for $25 during the week and $30 on the weekend.  296-5661

Glenmore: This swanky private 18-holer is available only to members and their guests for a fee of $90. Boasts driving range, putting green, short-game practice area, locker room, showers and lessons. 817-0502

Rivanna River Resort & Golf Club: 18 holes of public golfing, this Palmyra course features pro shop, driving range, putting green, rental clubs and restaurant. Available to all for $30 M, $40 Tu-Fri and $45 weekends and holidays. Tee times can be arranged up to a week in advance. 589-3730

Meadowcreek at Pen Park: A public course offering 18 holes with tee times beginning at 7:30am and continuing 'til dark seven days a week. Golf carts available. Mon-Thurs: $26 walking, $44.90 riding. Weekends: $31 walking, $49.90 riding. The twilight rate of $15 begins at 6pm, and you can play as long as the light lasts. The course also has a special rate of $29.90 to play and ride from 12-4pm Monday through Thursday. Call 977-0615 for more information.

Swannanoa Country Club: Good views and good price. Eighteen holes can cost as little as $12-- although in dry seasons the parched earth may vex players unaccustomed to seeing their balls bounce around as if on pavement. With practice bunker, practice green, pull carts, club rentals, lessons and snackbar, tee times are first come, first served. 540-943-8864

Wintergreen: Two courses-- the 4,000-foot-high Devils Knob and Stoney Creek-- for pricier, resort-style golf. Resort packages are available and tee times can be arranged by phone. 325-8250

HookTip
Like playing golf, hate paying ridiculously high greens fees, and don't mind roughing it a little? It's not the most manicured course (flat sand greens, no fairways), but located off the 250 Bypass is a nine-hole course at McIntire Park. It still relies on the honor system of payment; there's a small box located on the hill behind the playground. Better move fast, though. The course is threatened by a road project in the works called the Meadowcreek Parkway.

Ice skating
Charlottesville Ice Park- West end of the Downtown Mall- The Ice Park offers year-round indoor ice-skating with public skating sessions, ice hockey leagues, freestyle sessions, skating school for children and adults. Times may vary. Check the website to be sure. General admission for the public sessions is $9.50 but just $8 if you have your own skates. Discounts for children under six. Info: 817-2400.

Roller skating
Staunton has a real old-time 1960s-era place called Skatetown USA on Barterbrook Road. Skating sessions are Wednesday 7-9pm;  Friday 7:30pm-11pm; Saturday 1-4pm and 7:30-11pm. Cost is $6.50 at night, $5.50 during the day. Skate rental is $1. Available for private parties. 540-885-3798.

Skiing/snowboarding
A selective guide to the best places for avid Charlottesville winter sports enthusiasts.
Wintergreen: Crowded on weekends, but overall the biggest place close to town. Go midweek, and it's all yours. Two tubing parks. 325-2100
Massanutten: A hair farther than Wintergreen and a hair smaller, so it doesn't get as much Charlottesville traffic, but not a bad place. Snow tubing park likely to sell out on weekends. 800-207-4954
Snowshoe: The biggest ski resort in the South-- by far. But also a three-hour drive to another state. Middle-of-nowhere location limits day-trippers, so crowds rarely exceed the number of beds on the mountain. 877-441-4386
Canaan Valley: The quieter West Virginia resort. 800-622-4121
The Homestead: Not the most impressive mountain, but what a swanky centuries-old resort, and it offers major winter discount packages. 540-839-1766

Walking Trails
Ragged Mountain: Route 250 Bypass to Route 29 business exit. Take Fontaine Avenue a quarter of a mile to Reservoir Road. About two miles up, parking lot is on the right. 980-acre nature preserve where Edgar Allan Poe used to traipse.

Rivanna Trail: A 20-mile loop almost encircles the city of Charlottesville, follows Barracks Road and goes under Route 250 at Free Bridge. Look for the brown signs. 923-9022

Humpback Rocks: Take 64 West to the Blue Ridge Parkway, 20 miles west of town. This 0.8-mile hike commands the finest view of Albemarle County as well as the Valley, and lures even non-hikers. High sweat factor. 828-298-0398

Ivy Creek Natural Area: Hydraulic Road to Route 743, ICNA is a half a mile on the left. 215 acres boast six miles of walking trails and three quarters of paved trail. Open 7am-dusk seven days a week. 973-7772

For the dogs
For everything you need to know about registering and parking your dog, check out the dogs section of our newcomer's guide.

Climbing Clubs
The only instructor-equipped rock we know of is the Outdoor Wilderness Leadership School at Wintergreen Resort. Private lessons are also available. The rock is rated 5.6-5.11, which means it has routes for beginners to experts. Open seven days a week. Reservations only. 325-8166.

Rocky Top Climbing Club: Join the throngs who have discovered the joys of scaling walls while imagining they're scaling cliffs. Open 3-9pm during the week, 11am-7pm Sat, 1-7pm Sun. Adult pass is $9 plus an additional $3 to rent harness and shoes, but for students, it's only $7 for the pass and $1 for the equipment. 1729 Allied St. 984-1626

Going extreme
Skydive Orange: Located at the pastoral Orange County Airport, for new customers this place offers same-day training and tandem jumps for $255, same-day training and static line jumps for $265, and accelerated freefall (previous experience required) training and jumps for $380. 540-943-6587

Skydive Virginia: Located in nearby Louisa, here's yet another place if you feel an irresistible urge to jump out of an airplane and plummet 10,000 feet. $239 for a tandem jump. 540-941-8085 / 540-967-3997

Ballooning
There are no less than four separate ballooning operators in Charlottesville, and they all take off from the Boar's Head Inn, among other places.

Blue Ridge Balloons: 589-6213

Monticello Country Ballooning: 996-9008

Bonaire Charters: 981-5260

Bear Balloon Corp: 971-1757

Tubing/canoeing
James River Reeling and Rafting: Equipment and tube rental and transportation in downtown Scottsville for fun times floating and frolicking down the James. 286-4386

James River Runners: A similar set-up, but located five miles upstream on a slightly more vibrant stretch of the same mighty river. 286-2338

Albemarle County's Parks & Rec Department Maintains six river access points. On the James River: Howardsville, Hatton Ferry, Warren, and Scottsville. On the Rivanna River: Milton and Darden Towe Park. 296-5844 (See more on rivers below.)

Major rivers
Actually, Charlottesville's nearby rivers won't quicken the pulse of any whitewater enthusiasts.
Hardware River: Down Scottsville way
Rockfish River: On the border between southern Albemarle and Nelson
Mechums River: The one that goes through "downtown" Ivy
Moormans River: Stretches from Sugar Hollow in White Hall over to the South Fork Rivanna reservoir
Rivanna River: A nice calm run exists between Charlottesville and the tiny burg of Columbia where this river opens into the James
James River: The mac daddy of area rivers-- in size at least. Home to the two big tubing/canoeing companies mentioned above, it used to be the main "highway" in 18th century Virginia

Spectator

UVA Football: The ‘Hoos sub-.500 2008 season including blowout losses to Duke and Connecticut left many disappointed coming off an exciting 2007 season. The squad now faces a challenging schedule with games against TCU and Georgia Tech, ending their regular season at home in Scott Stadium against the in-state rival Virginia Tech Hokies.

Coach Al Groh, thought by some to be on the hot seat, faces many questions on the offensive end of the ball, and new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon inherits an offense that hasn’t cracked the top 100 in the nation for total production for the past three years.

The team has consistently produced first round NFL draft picks over the past few years, including Chris Long, Branden Albert, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and Heath Miller.

Call 924-UVA1 for information on tickets.

UVA Men's Basketball: A new coach in Tony Bennett (no relation to the singer) and a promising young line-up including ACC Rookie of the Year Sylven Landesberg give hope to a squad that ended the season with a 4-12 record in the ACC. Playing in the 15,000 capacity John Paul Jones Arena, the team draws a full house for many in-conference games. Call the UVA Athletic Ticket Office at 800-542-8821.

UVA's Women's Basketball: Coach Debbie Ryan, owner of 699 career wins, looks to a young roster and two new assistant coaches to help build upon two consecutive NCAA trips. Returning points leader Monica Wright leads a roster with only two seniors. Tickets are usually found easily on game days. Call 924-UVA1 for more information.

UVA Soccer:The game the rest of the world knows as football has made itself a major aspect of UVA’s athletics, with both men’s and women’s teams regularly making strong showings and making regular appearances near the top of the rankings.  While season tickets need reservations, single game tickets are available one hour before kickoff at Klockner Stadium. Call 924-UVA1 for more info.

UVA Lacrosse: In what is arguably UVA’s strongest athletic program, the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams play their spring season at Klockner Stadium. Both squads are consistent contenders on the national stage and regular attendees of the NCAA tournament, earning many players spots in national all-star games. While single game tickets are available, make sure to go early.

UVA Swimming & Diving: Missing out on the spotlight given to other sports at the university, the program makes a splash with numerous All-Americans and strong showings at major competitions. The spiffy Aquatic Fitness Center on Alderman Road plays host to regular season meets, and admission is free.

UVA Baseball: A trip to the College World Series in Omaha continues this team’s meteoric rise toward the top of the collegiate baseball world. Coach Brian O’Connor has inspired the confidence of the UVA faithful, leading his squad to an ACC championship and its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Tickets for games, played at Davenport Field, can be found in advance or two hours before first pitch. Call 924-UVA1 for more info.

Alternate choice: The Waynesboro Generals, playing in the NCAA approved Valley League, runs a 44-game summer schedule
using a roster of off-season college players. Admission is $5 a game, and home games are played at the Kate Collins Middle School field. 540-982-8790

Polo: While the number of sport-enthusiast equestrians is far from overwhelming, Charlottesville is very accommodating to the game, with four area clubs to satisfy local demand. Tailgating at the Polo Grounds of Forest Lodge Farm off Old Lynchburg Road is a summer standby (Call 977-POLO for more info), and Crozet’s King Family Vineyards hosts games every Sunday.

Auto racing For those around Waynesboro, Eastside Speedway offers kart, dirt track, and drag racing that promises to not be a…drag. Call 540-942-1219

Going extreme
KF-Flying Circus Aerodrome: Located 14 miles south of Warrenton and 22 miles north of Fredericksburg off Route 17 on Route 644 near Bealeton, this circus offers aerial acrobatics on summer Sundays. General admission is $10 (additional coupon offered online), $3 for children 3-12, and no charge for kids under three. Fly-alongs also offered on a “first-come first-served” basis with prices ranging between $40 and $130. 540-439-8661


Baseball

Lynchburg Hillcats: Who knows what rising star you might catch at City Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Single-A club. With prices very budget friendly ($7 for general admission, $9 for reserved seating), how can you say no to America’s pastime?

Washington Nationals: Despite management turmoil and a less than stellar record, the Nationals still have high hopes for the future. With a lineup that includes All-Star and UVA alum Ryan Zimmerman and a No. 1 Draft pick in Stephen Strasburg, perhaps a turn around could be in the works at Nationals Park. Single game tickets start at $5, up to $325 for Lexus Presidents Seats.

Baltimore Orioles: The organization that prided itself on playing the “Oriole Way” has struggled in recent years, finding itself in a streak of 11 consecutive sub .500 seasons. Playing at one of the most loved stadiums in baseball, Camden Yards, the team plays in the American League Eastern division, one of the deepest in baseball. Tickets can be found from $8 to $55 ($80 for prime games).

Pro football

Washington Redskins: Starting quarterback Jason Campbell has found himself on the hot seat in the last year of his contract, with upper management in the off-season looking at then-free agent Jay Cutler and drafting USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. The team will need to improve on an 8-8 record that saw the team lose four of its final five games and fall to the bottom of the tough NFC East. The team will host eight games this season at it home at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

Fans looking for single game tickets may find luck searching ticket reseller Stub Hub, where tickets range from $34 to the five figure range.

Baltimore Ravens: Finding a legitimate starter in rookie Joe Flacco last season, the Ravens now look to build upon an impressive 11-5 season that took them to the AFC Championship Game. The team still boasts a devastating defense, ranking fifth in total defense last season.

The team has a slate of eight home games at M&T Bank Stadium for its upcoming campaign, and the team will release single game tickets July 17, with prices ranging from $60 to $355. Call 410-261-7283 for more information.

Pro basketball
Washington Wizards: After countless injuries derailed what was expected to be a strong season, new talent in Mike Miller and Randy Foye, along with the return of the Gilbert Arenas should bring some excitement back to the Verizon Center. New coach Flip Saunders will have his work returning this team to the playoffs after it compiled a 19-63 record in 2008-09. Tickets can be in high demand, so call 202-661-5050 for more information.

Washington Mystics: The Wizard’s WNBA counterpart plays their games from May through August at the Verizon Center. Alana Beard, former UVA standout, leads a team that as of press time is hanging near the upper end of the Eastern Conference standings. Single game tickets are readily available at game time, and run from $15 to $115. Call 877-324-6671 for ticket information.

Washington Capitals: Developing a star-studded roster around all-star Alexander Ovechkin, the Capitals are now the hottest ticket in town. Expectations are at a fever pitch after a regular season in which the team amassed a record 108 points and their second consecutive division title, falling in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Tickets can go quickly at its home ice at the Verizon Center, so call ahead to 202-266-2277.