Kauffman Stadium Overview
When you imagine your perfect day at the stadium, does it include barbecue, craft beer, and fountains? If so, then a trip to Kansas City to experience a game at the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium is in order.
No matter where you sit, take a walk around the entire stadium to experience all Kauffman has to offer. Check out the Hall of Fame Museum in left field. Enjoy the mist from the fountains on a hot day in center field. Pop into Rivals Sports Bar for a cold, craft beverage in right.
The best part is that Kansas City and Kauffman Stadium offer an affordable sportscation for everyone from the casual fan to those on a quest to visit all 30 stadiums.
Our five-part guide to Kauffman Stadium will help you plan the perfect trip to experience baseball in Kansas City. We’ll cover:
- Travel: How to get here
- Lodging: Where you should stay
- Local Transit: How to get around town
- Ticketing/Seating/Premium: Where to sit, how to buy, and whether to opt for premium seating
- Gameday: What to do before/during/after the game
We hope you enjoy this insider look at Kauffman Stadium. Please be sure to sign up for our free daily newsletter to stay informed about events, schedules, onsales, ticket deals, and everything else you need to know to plan the best fan experiences.
Why you should visit Kauffman Stadium
History
Kauffman has one of the best in-stadium HOF museums in the league.
Good Food
KC BBQ, tacos, burgers, ice cream, and more – there’s plenty to enjoy.
Crown Vision
We have the only jumbotron shaped like a crown.
The Fountains
Our outfield features aptly reflect Kansas City’s nickname “The City of Fountains.”
Great Value
No matter where you sit, the tickets are some of the most affordable in the league.
How many games should you see?
Kauffman Stadium has so much to offer, you will regret attending only one game. If you plan to travel to Kansas City for a weekend, we recommend two games plus a visit to the nearby Negro Leagues Baseball Museum if time allows. Plan to get to the stadium early for at least one game to tour the Royals’ Hall of Fame Museum. (For more on that visit our Gameday chapter.)
If your travel plans allow it, arrive in Kansas City with enough time to make it to the stadium for a 7:10 pm first pitch Friday night. Enjoy dollar hot dog night, and plan to stay for the impressive fireworks show following the game.
During homestands, the Royals usually play Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Most Saturday home games have a 6:10 pm first pitch, with an occasional 3:10 pm start. Sunday games usually begin at 1:10 pm. The Royals wear their powder blue jerseys and kids can run the bases after the game on Sundays (so factor that into your flight plans if you have kids).
When should you go to Kauffman Stadium?
When to visit Kauffman Stadium depends on how you like to experience baseball. April can be lovely, but you might find yourself needing extra layers. May and June have perfect baseball weather: warm days and cooler nights. July gets hot and humid.
August is August. As Ichiro Suzuki famously said, “August in Kansas City is hotter than two rats in a f**king wool sock”. With that in mind, make your way over to our chapter on Seating at Kauffman for tips on where to sit if you want shade. September quickly returns to gorgeous baseball weather: blue skies, warm days, and cool nights.
For the best seat selection, plan your trip around the visiting team. Kansas City and Kauffman Stadium are known as affordable places to visit, which means out of town fans often travel here to cheer on their team. If you plan to visit Kauffman when teams with huge fan bases are in town, expect higher prices on secondary market tickets, and as the games get closer, less availability. So, if you’re coming to see the Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, etc., start looking for tickets earlier.
When the St. Louis Cardinals come to town the stadium frequently sells out as St. Louisans cruise across the state in droves turning Kauffman into a sea of red. In recent years, the Royals have settled back into their familiar role of loveable losers, so tickets for other series tend to be plentiful (but don’t look now … 2024 is looking bright!).
Where is Kauffman Stadium located?
Kauffman Stadium, along with the Kansas City Chiefs’ GEHA Field at Arrowhead, make up the Truman Sports Complex, located along Interstate 70, about 15 minutes southeast of downtown Kansas City, Mo.
This setup is unique in the sense that it’s just the stadiums surrounded far and wide by a concrete jungle of parking lots. This makes it a great stadium for tailgating, but not so convenient for baseball fans traveling from out of town. Unlike downtown stadiums, Kauffman doesn’t have a plethora of dining and lodging options nearby. Don’t worry though, we have all the tips and tricks for transportation and lodging for Kauffman Stadium here at The Stadium Insiders.
About your Kauffman Stadium Insider
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’ve been a Royals fan for over two decades through back-to-back 100+ loss seasons, back-to-back trips to the World Series, and everything in between. I love the atmosphere, the food, and most importantly I love the game of baseball.
I grew up a White Sox fan in Chicagoland, and moved to Kansas City after university. The Royals helped my transition to this part of the Midwest. Most of my fondest memories in Kansas City center around the Royals, from hunkering down during an ice delay for a free Billy Butler jersey to winning the 5th inning fan dance-off to experiencing my first playoff game to Kansas City declaring a “Blue Snow Day” for the championship parade.
Nowadays I enjoy introducing my children to the excitement that comes along with attending live sporting events. My favorite place to sit at Kauffman (with or without the kids) is along the third baseline in sections 118-119. There’s a walkway between the 100 and 200 level seats. Underneath sections 218 & 219 there’s concessions and bathrooms. For whatever reason, very few people use these, so if you sit in 118-119 trips to the bathroom and basic ballpark food/beverages trips are lightning fast. And you’re still close to the action on the field.
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