Kauffman Stadium
The K | |
Kauffman Stadium in 2017 | |
Location in Missouri Location in the United States | |
| Former names | Royals Stadium (1973–1993) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Royal Way |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 39°3′5″N 94°28′50″W / 39.05139°N 94.48056°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 ($496 million in 2024) $250 million (2007–10 renovations) ($360 million in 2024) |
| 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 | |
| mlb.com/royals/ballpark | |
Kauffman Stadium (/ˈkɔːfmən/) (nicknamed "The K") is a ballpark located in Kansas City, Missouri, and the home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals. It is next door to Arrowhead Stadium, home of National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. Both make up the Truman Sports Complex. 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 20 years later on July 2, 1993. Since its last major renovation in 2009, its listed seating capacity is 37,903.
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 fifth-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. The plan would involve displacing several small businesses that would be in the footprint of the stadium. In April 2024, Jackson County voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot initiative to help fund the new stadium by a 16% margin. A financial analysis of the new stadium plans estimates that the cost to taxpayers would be between $4.4 billion and $6.4 billion. As of June 2024, the team was considering relocating to Kansas City, Kansas.