Venue Info

Sport: Baseball
League: MLB
Team: Kansas City Royals

Year Built: 1973
Stadium Capacity: 40,700

Road Trip / Kauffman Stadium Itinerary

Kansas City may not compare to New York or Boston or Chicago for urban grit and excitement, and the Royals have been down for many years running. But KC does provide a great setting to combine a bit of baseball history and some of the best barbeque anywhere with a trip to the ballpark. … Start downtown at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Read about how the league was born in Kansas City and it’s many great players like Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson and Jackie Robinson, who played for the Kansas City Monarchs before being signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. … The museum is located in the historic 18^th and Vine district alongside the American Jazz Museum. If you’ve got time, go there, too, and learn about another great American pastime. … After the museum(s), head down the block to Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque and get some of their legendary KC barbeque to go. Pack it in the car and hop on the George Brett Superhighway (I-70) to the park, and get there early to do some tailgating. Kauffman Stadium is surrounded by parking lots, so you’ll be joined by many Royals fans doing the same. … The K (previously Royals Stadium) opened in 1973 and has always been a good place to watch a game, and a just completed $250 million renovation has only enhanced that. New ‘Fountain Seats,’ in front of the world’s largest privately funded fountain, are one of the highlights, as well as a new restaurant, Rivals. … If you skipped the tailgate or simply didn’t get enough barbeque, another local favorite, Gates, has a stand inside the park at section 122. It goes well with a locally brewed Boulevard Beer. And leave room for regionally famous Sheridan’s Frozen Custard. … KC is also known for steak, so if you’re still hungry when the game ends, head back downtown to the Hereford House or one of the city’s other steakhouses. … For a nightcap, hit the nearby 12 Baltimore Bar at the downtown Hotel Phillips.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, 1616 E. 18th Street, (816) 221-1920

American Jazz Museum, 1616 E 18th St., (816) 474-8463

Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, 1727 Brooklyn Ave., (816) 231-1123

Gates & Sons Bar-B-Q, 1221 Brooklyn Ave., (816) 483-3880

Hereford House, 2 E. 20th St., (816) 842-1080 

12 Baltimore Bar, 106 W 12th St., (816) 346-4410 ,

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Wise Guide Tips / Know what the locals know, go where the locals go

At Wise Guides, we believe “spectator” should be a verb. Not because you should suck down 12 beers, run on the field and try to take the first baseman’s job — you shouldn’t. It’s because there’s so much more to going to a game than simply sitting in your seat watching the action. There are stadiums and neighborhoods to explore, food and drink to try, history to learn and interesting people to meet. Try our Wise Guides tips, they are funny, helpful and, we hope, interesting.

Soak up the Scene

Built in 1973, Kauffman Stadium (originally Royals Stadium until renamed in honor of late owner Ewing Kauffman in 1993) was always a good place to catch a game, but it lacked many of the amenities found... Read more »