McDonough Gymnasium, sometimes referred to as McDonough Arena when hosting a sports or entertainment event, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, DC Officially known as McDonough Memorial Gymnasium, it opened in 1951 and can hold 2,200 spectators for sports events.
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One source claims that "McDonough Gymnasium" refers to the building as a whole, while "McDonough Arena" refers only to the event space within the building where athletic and social events take place.
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When it opened, McDonough Gymnasium's capacity was 3,500 to 4,000 for basketball and 5,500 for general events.
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McDonough Gymnasium hosted a semifinal game of the Division I men's basketball ECAC South Region tournament, organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference, in both 1977 and 1978.
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McDonough Gymnasium hosted a 2019 NIT game on an evening when Capital One Arena – as the Verizon Center had been renamed in August 2017 – was in use for a Washington Capitals National Hockey League game.
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McDonough Gymnasium has hosted the James "Jabbo" Kenner League — officially known as "Nike Pro City Summer League-Washington" since 2007 — every summer since the league's founding in 1982 except in 2020 and 2021, when the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation.
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When it opened in 1951, McDonough Gymnasium housed facilities for four intercollegiate teams, but it eventually served 29 of them.
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Many concerts have been held at McDonough Gymnasium, including shows by Count Basie, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, and the Grateful Dead.
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McDonough Gymnasium was the site of one of President Dwight D Eisenhower's two inaugural balls in January 1953.
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When it opened in 1951, McDonough Gymnasium had a stage for theatrical performances and housed coaches' offices, weight rooms, a squash court, and the university's physical education and student health programs.
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Until Yates Field House opened in 1979, McDonough Gymnasium was the only facility for intramural sports on the Georgetown campus.
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McDonough Gymnasium's aging practice and training facilities had long been considered overcrowded and obsolete when, on September 12,2014, Georgetown held a groundbreaking ceremony for the four-story, 144,000-square-foot John R Thompson Jr.
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Physically connected to the Thompson Center, McDonough Gymnasium continues to house the administrative offices of the university's athletics department and the women's basketball and volleyball teams continue to play their home games there.
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McDonough Gymnasium continues to host various university and community special events and to serve as a venue in which Georgetown alumni, parents, and fans gather before and after Georgetown sporting events.
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In 2000, Georgetown's athletic director unveiled a $22 million proposal to renovate McDonough Gymnasium, modernizing it to serve as a "convocation center" with an improved capability to host both athletic and social events, as well as provide an on-campus basketball venue that meets Big East Conference standards.
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