Kauffman Stadium facts for kids
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The K
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 Newly renovated Kauffman Stadium on opening day 2009
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 Kauffman Stadium
Location in Missouri
Kauffman Stadium
Location in the United States
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| Former names | Royals Stadium (1973–1993) |
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| Address | 1 Royal Way |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 39°3′5″N 94°28′50″W / 39.05139°N 94.48056°W |
| Operator | Jackson Sports Complex Authority |
| Capacity | 37,903 (2009) with standing room at least 40,625 (1973) |
| Record attendance | 41,860 (July 26, 1980, Royals vs Yankees) |
| Field size | Left Field – 330 feet (101 m) Left-Center – 387 feet (118 m) Center Field – 410 feet (125 m) Right-Center – 387 feet (118 m) Right Field – 330 feet (101 m) Backstop – 60 feet (18 m) |
| 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 | US$70 million ($461 million in 2022 dollars ) $250 million (2007-10 renovations) ($335 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Kivett and Myers 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) | |
Kauffman Stadium, often called "The K", is a famous baseball park in Kansas City, Missouri. It's where the Kansas City Royals, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, play their home games. The stadium is part of the Truman Sports Complex, right next to Arrowhead Stadium. Arrowhead Stadium is home to the Kansas City Chiefs football team.
The ballpark is named after Ewing Kauffman. He was the person who founded and first owned the Royals team. It first opened in 1973 as Royals Stadium. On July 2, 1993, it was renamed Kauffman Stadium to honor him. Since 2009, the stadium can hold 37,903 fans.
Kauffman Stadium was built just for baseball. This was special because many stadiums at the time were built for multiple sports. It's known for its modern design. It's also the only ballpark in the American League named after a person. Plus, it's one of only ten MLB stadiums without a company's name attached to it.
"The K" is the sixth-oldest stadium in Major League Baseball. It has hosted two MLB All-Star Games, in 1973 and 2012. It was also home to the Royals during their World Series games in 1980, 1985, 2014, and 2015. Between 2007 and 2009, the stadium got a big update. This $250 million renovation added new features for fans and a Royals Hall of Fame area.
Stadium Design and Cool Features
Kauffman Stadium was one of the last baseball-only parks built for a long time. From 1966 to 1991, most new stadiums were made for both baseball and football. "The K" is one of only two such baseball-only stadiums from that era still in use today. The other is Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Even though it's only for baseball, its design has some features seen in multi-sport stadiums. The main part of the stadium is made mostly of concrete. The seats wrap around the infield and stop at the foul poles. There are also smaller seating areas in the outfield. The upper deck of seats is quite steep.
By the year 2000, all the seats in the park were replaced with blue ones. The lower seats also got handy cup holders.
The most famous part of Kauffman Stadium is the amazing fountain and waterfall display. It's located behind the right-field fence. This display is called the Water Spectacular. At 322 feet (98 meters) long, it's the biggest privately funded fountain in the world. The fountains spray water before and after games, and between innings. The waterfalls flow all the time.
Modern Renovations and Updates
On April 4, 2006, people in Jackson County, Missouri voted to approve a small sales tax increase. This money was used to pay for big plans to update the Truman Sports Complex. The work on Kauffman Stadium began on October 3, 2007. It was finished just in time for Opening Day in 2009.
The updates to Kauffman Stadium brought many new things for fans:
- The number of seats was changed to 37,903.
- A huge new high-definition scoreboard was added. It's called "Crown Vision."
- New areas like fountain view terraces and an outfield concourse were built.
- A special kids' area was created.
- New food options were added, called "Taste of KC."
- A sports bar-themed restaurant was built in right field.
- A Hall of Fame and conference center was added in left field.
- There are now wider walkways (concourses) for easier movement.
- All levels have new and improved food stands and restrooms.
- Four new entry gates make it easier to get into the stadium.
- The press facilities for reporters were also updated.
The new "Crown Vision" scoreboard was one of the first things installed. It replaced the old scoreboard that had been there since the stadium opened. The new scoreboard was ready for Opening Day 2008. It is 84 feet wide and 105 feet tall. When it was first used, it was the largest high-definition LED display in the world. This amazing scoreboard cost $8.3 million. On game days, 17 people work in the control room to run it. A crown was added to the top of the scoreboard in 2008. Strobe lights on top of the scoreboard flash after every Royals home run.
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Images for kids
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Sunday, September 19, 1976. Chris Knapp of the White Sox pitches against Royals' outfielder Tom Poquette; KC won 6–5.
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View of the stadium in 1981.
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View of the stadium during the National Anthem at the 2012 All-Star Game.
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Newly renovated on opening day 2009.
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Folding seats in the Kauffman Stadium.
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Giants vs Royals, 10 August 2014.
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The O'Neil legacy seat.
See also
In Spanish: Kauffman Stadium para niños
