Kauffman Stadium
Kauffman Stadium (/ˈkɔːfmən/), often called "The K", is a baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is the ballpark to the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). It is part of the Truman Sports Complex together with the adjacent Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium is named for Ewing Kauffman, the founder and first owner of the Royals. It opened in 1973 as Royals Stadium and was named for Kauffman twenty years later on July 2, 1993. Since its last major renovation in 2009, the listed seating capacity is 37,903.
“The K” | |
Kauffman Stadium in 2017 | |
Kansas City Location in the United States Kansas City Location in Missouri | |
| Former names | Royals Stadium (1973–1993) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Royal Way |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 39.051°N 94.48°W |
| Public transit | KCATA: Route 47 |
| Operator | Jackson Sports Complex Authority |
| Capacity | 37,903 (2012-present) 37,840 (2010-2011) 40,785 (2005-2009) 40,793 (2003-2004) 40,625 (1973-2002) |
| Record attendance | 42,633 (ALCS Game 2, October 9, 1980, vs. New York Yankees) |
| Field size | Left Field – 330 ft (101 m) Left-Center – 385 ft (117 m) (1973-1994) 375 ft (114 m) (1995-2003) 385 ft (117 m) (2004-2008) 387 ft (118 m) (2009-present) Center Field – 410 ft (125 m) (1973-1994) 400 ft (122 m) (1995-2003) 410 ft (125 m) (2004-present) Right-Center – 385 ft (117 m) (1973-1994) 375 ft (114 m) (1995-2003) 385 ft (117 m) (2004-2008) 387 ft (118 m) (2009-present) Right Field – 330 ft (101 m) Backstop – 60 ft (18 m) (1973-present) |
| Surface | Kentucky bluegrass / Perennial ryegrass (1995–present) AstroTurf (1973–1994) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 11, 1968 |
| Opened | April 10, 1973 |
| Renovated | 2007–2009 |
| Construction cost | $70 million ($480 million in 2023) $250 million (2007–10 renovations) ($349 million in 2023) |
| Architect | Kivett and Myers [HNTB] Populous (renovations 1997, 2009) |
| Structural engineer | Bob D. Campbell & Co. Structural Engineers |
| General contractor | Sharp-Kidde-Webb JV |
| Tenants | |
| Kansas City Royals (MLB) (1973–present) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Kauffman Stadium was built specifically for baseball during an era when building multisport "cookie-cutter" stadiums was commonplace. It is often held up along with Dodger Stadium (1962) in Los Angeles as one of the best examples of modernist stadium design. It is currently the only stadium in the American League to be named after a person and is also one of eight stadiums in Major League Baseball that does not have a corporate-sponsored name. The stadium is the sixth-oldest stadium in the majors and has hosted the 1973 and the 2012 MLB All-Star Games, along with Royals home games during the 1980, 1985, 2014, and 2015 World Series. Between 2007 and 2009, Kauffman Stadium underwent a $250 million renovation, which included updates and upgrades in fan amenities, a new Royals hall of fame area, and other updates throughout the facility.
In 2022, the Royals announced intentions to build and open a new stadium before the team's lease agreement with Jackson County expires at the end of the 2030 MLB season. In 2024, the team announced their intention for the stadium to be located in downtown Kansas City's Crossroads district. A financial analysis of the new stadium plans estimates that the cost to taxpayers would be between $4.4 billion to $6.4 billion.