Kauffman Stadium

Looking for section numbers and the best seats by level? See the Kauffman Stadium Seating Chart.

It is home to the Kansas City Royals.

For general seat-picking advice, see The Best Seats at a Baseball Game.

Kauffman Stadium, the Royals' home since 1973

Kauffman Stadium, known locally as the K, is the home of the Kansas City Royals, an open-air ballpark at 1 Royal Way in the Truman Sports Complex, beside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium off Interstate 70. Wikipedia lists capacity at 38,053 for 2026. The first rule of buying here is sun: the park faces northeast and the sun sets behind the third-base side, so for a day game or an early-evening start, choose the third-base side, especially Plaza sections 217–225 and the covered rows of the View level. To sit near the Royals bench, the Dugout Box sections 136–139 are in front of the home dugout.

The ballpark opened in 1973 as Royals Stadium and was renamed on July 2, 1993, for team founder Ewing Kauffman. Fans searching for Royals Stadium are looking at the same building, though a renovation completed in 2009 cut capacity and changed some seating areas, so use a current map.

Dugout Box, Plaza, Loge and View levels

The Royals' guide names three main tiers, the Plaza, Loge and View levels, with field-level Dugout Box seats in front. Section numbers come from the team guide, RateYourSeats and ShadedSeats.

Dugout Box (100s)

The infield Dugout Box seats run sections 116–125 and 130–139, with about 20 rows each and row A nearest the field. RateYourSeats places the Royals dugout in front of 136–139 and the visitors' dugout in front of 116–119. Nothing overhangs these seats, so they get full sun in the day. Behind home plate, the CommunityAmerica Crown Club occupies sections 1–6.

Plaza level (200s)

The Plaza level sits just behind and above the field seats and is often protected by the deck overhead. Sections 217–225 shade by mid-game in afternoon starts, per ShadedSeats. Sections 201–203 in the outfield sit beside the fountains.

Loge level (300s)

The second deck is a largely shaded middle tier and includes the Boulevard Brewing Craft and Draft, a bar area at section 301 on the third-base line.

View level (400s)

The upper deck is the budget tier. Upper rows of 409–431 sit under the roof and stay shaded; 401–407 and 433–439, toward the outfield ends, are fully exposed. View level Guest Services is at section 420, behind home plate.

Best seats at the K, and seats that bake

• Best overall for a day game: Plaza sections on the third-base side, 217–225, for shade and an infield angle.
• Closest to the Royals: Dugout Box 136–139, middle rows, so you see over the dugout roof.
• Value with cover: upper rows of View level 409–431, ideally on the third-base side.
• Families: outfield seats near the fountains and the Outfield Experience, with the Little K wiffle-ball field. SeatGeek's fan guide lists section 217 as an alcohol-free family zone; confirm when buying.
• Atmosphere: outfield sections 201–203 beside the Water Spectacular.

Seats to think twice about

• Low first-base-side rows in July and August: no overhang and full afternoon sun.
• Right-field outfield seats at a day game: the longest sun exposure in the park.
• View level ends, 401–407 and 433–439: exposed to sun and angled away from home plate.
• Dugout Box at a 1:10 p.m. start: excellent seats, but bring a hat and sunscreen.

At a night game, most sun problems disappear after the first inning or two, and the first-base side becomes an easy choice.

Parking, tailgating and the bus

No rail line reaches the Truman Sports Complex, so most fans drive and park in the lots shared with the Chiefs. As of the 2026 season, parking is digital through the MLB Ballpark app, with general, reserved and oversize-vehicle tiers, and buying online in advance costs noticeably less than paying at the tollbooth. Gate payment is by credit card at Gates 2–4, 5 or 6.

Tailgating rules

• Where: only in the area behind your vehicle, without blocking the roadway; large groups may be sent to Lot N.
• Not allowed: saving spaces, buying extra spaces to tailgate, tailgating inside a parking space, and outdoor camping toilets.
• Timing: head into the game or leave the complex starting in the 2nd inning; lots close an hour after the event.

RideKC's 47 Broadway bus serves the stadium seven days a week. Cabs and rideshares pick up in the middle of Lot A after first pitch, and pregame rideshare routes enter through Toll Gate 3 on the east side or Toll Gate 5 on the west. Golf-cart shuttles carry guests with disabilities from the lots at every home game.

Kauffman Stadium clear-bag policy and gates

As of the 2026 season, the Royals' ballpark guide sets these rules; check the Kauffman Stadium guide before you go.

• Bags: one clear bag up to 12 by 12 by 6 inches or a one-gallon clear zip-seal bag, plus a small clutch up to 9 by 5 inches. Medical and infant diaper bags are allowed after inspection.
• Food and water: individual-portion food in a clear one-gallon bag, and one sealed, unfrozen plastic water bottle of one liter or less.
• Gates: 90 minutes early Friday through Sunday and on giveaway days; one hour early Monday through Thursday. Crown Club holders can enter at Gate C two hours early.
• Re-entry: generally not permitted; Guest Services behind home plate on the Plaza level handles emergencies.
• Payment: no ATMs; reverse ATMs that load cash onto a card are at the Plaza team store, sections 221 and 234, behind Crown Vision, and sections 419 and 423.

Children 32 inches and under do not need a ticket if they sit on an adult's lap, and sensory rooms are in the dugout concourses on both baselines.

Fountains, two titles and a planned move

Jackson County voters approved bonds for the Truman Sports Complex in 1967, and the ballpark opened on April 10, 1973, hosting that year's All-Star Game on July 24. Its signature is the Water Spectacular beyond right field, 322 feet wide and billed as the largest privately funded fountain in the world. The crown-topped Crown Vision board, 85 feet wide and 105 feet tall, arrived for Opening Day 2008. A 250-million-dollar renovation finished in 2009 widened concourses and added the outfield kids' area and a left-field Royals Hall of Fame.

• October 9, 1980: a record crowd of 42,633 for ALCS Game 2 against the Yankees.
• October 27, 1985: an 11–0 Game 7 win over St. Louis for the Royals' first title.
• 2012: a second All-Star Game.
• 2014 and 2015: back-to-back World Series; the 2015 title came over the Mets.
• 2026: outfield dimensions change, with the power alleys moving to 379 feet.

A move is planned but not imminent. Jackson County voters rejected a stadium sales tax in April 2024, and on April 22, 2026, the Royals and Hallmark Cards announced a partnership for a new ballpark district at Crown Center. The Kauffman lease runs through the 2030 season. The Wikipedia entry tracks the latest.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Kauffman Stadium
• Royals – Kauffman Stadium guide
• RateYourSeats – Kauffman Stadium section 132
• ShadedSeats – Kauffman Stadium
• SeatGeek – Kauffman Stadium fan guide