kauffman stadium guide
As I write this, Kauffman Stadium got a $250M facelift in 2008-2009 and has improved quite a bit. Most people who go love this ballpark, and you can too! See below for tips on how to save money at Kauffman Stadium.
cheap/free parking at kauffman stadium
I have said on different parts of this site that how you approach parking has a lot to do with your station in life. As a college student, I would have walked a mile or so to save 10 bucks on parking. Now that I am getting older by the day, I don't mind dropping up to $5 for parking if necessary. Whether you are a die hard park for free guy, or if you don't mind paying but you want a good spot, I think I have you covered.
First, you should check out Park Whiz. Often they'll have spots that you can reserve ahead of time without having to stress about finding a spot. You can buy it upfront, and then set the GPS to the lot where you parking spot is waiting. Click here to see spots for Royals home games.
First, you should check out Park Whiz. Often they'll have spots that you can reserve ahead of time without having to stress about finding a spot. You can buy it upfront, and then set the GPS to the lot where you parking spot is waiting. Click here to see spots for Royals home games.
To those who don't mind to pay, but you want to have the shortest walk possible. If you are coming from I70 and want to park in the stadium, you want to try to get to Lot C. Lots A and B are usually reserved for season ticket holders and foreign dignitaries, but Lot C is wide open for average schleps like me and you.
Depending on police direction you may have a hard time getting to Lot C, but here is your best shot. Stay in the furthest right lane as you approach the stadium. If the police make you go left, you will probably end up in Lot L in which case you might want to bring a Camelbak and some non perishable food items. Its not a guarantee this will work, but if you are paying $9 for official parking, this is your best shot to get close. Remember, stay right.
Depending on police direction you may have a hard time getting to Lot C, but here is your best shot. Stay in the furthest right lane as you approach the stadium. If the police make you go left, you will probably end up in Lot L in which case you might want to bring a Camelbak and some non perishable food items. Its not a guarantee this will work, but if you are paying $9 for official parking, this is your best shot to get close. Remember, stay right.
Now, for my people: The shamelessly broke.
Lets be honest, free parking around Kauffman Stadium is slim pickins. I know of people who go park at the Drury Inn and then walk to the stadium. I am sure by doing this you can be towed if the person working happens to notice and calls somebody. However in my experience for similar situations is if people aren't abusing it, they won't notice or care. If you pull in and the lot is full and you get the sense that a lot of them are going to the game, you might want to use your judgment. Again, people who are big on free parking tend to live on the edge a little anyway, so if that is you give it a shot! I am curious if any of you have tried that.
where to stay
My last comment really parlays nicely into this section. If you are coming in town for a game, may I recommend the Drury Inn near Kauffman Stadium? You can walk to and from the stadium from your room, so you save $9 there. You also get free hot breakfasts at the Drury Inn which are wonderful! I am not really touting that hotel, but I have stayed at a couple and thought they were great. In this case you have the benefit of one meal for free and free parking when you go the the Royals game; not bad.
Lets be honest, free parking around Kauffman Stadium is slim pickins. I know of people who go park at the Drury Inn and then walk to the stadium. I am sure by doing this you can be towed if the person working happens to notice and calls somebody. However in my experience for similar situations is if people aren't abusing it, they won't notice or care. If you pull in and the lot is full and you get the sense that a lot of them are going to the game, you might want to use your judgment. Again, people who are big on free parking tend to live on the edge a little anyway, so if that is you give it a shot! I am curious if any of you have tried that.
where to stay
My last comment really parlays nicely into this section. If you are coming in town for a game, may I recommend the Drury Inn near Kauffman Stadium? You can walk to and from the stadium from your room, so you save $9 there. You also get free hot breakfasts at the Drury Inn which are wonderful! I am not really touting that hotel, but I have stayed at a couple and thought they were great. In this case you have the benefit of one meal for free and free parking when you go the the Royals game; not bad.
The other option that I recommend for any city is Hotwire I have had nothing but great experiences with them. Some people are scared because it doesn’t give you the name of the hotel until after you have bought it, but I would never use another travel site. Their ratings are trustworthy, and you can get a really good idea of the area you are staying on their map. I give a full break down of how to figure out a Hotwire hotel in my roadtrip guide.
Another great choice is Airbnb. This is where homeowners turn their space into a Bed and Breakfast, and you can either have an entire place or a private room. This is a great way to meet some interesting people and stay at a totally unique place in Kansas City. The picture on the left is a downtown loft for about $100 per night - not bad. Check rates |
kansas city royals tickets
Kauffman Stadium boasts that there is not a bad seat in the house. When it was originally designed over 38 years ago the owner made sure every seat pointed directly toward second base. This was too insure that nobody was sitting at an awkward angle. For those of us who have watch a baseball game at an awkward angle before, you can really appreciate this. So wherever you sit, have no fear of a neck cramp.
This site is dedicated to not necessarily finding the cheapest of everything, but finding the best bang for the rapidly declining buck. In this case, the cheap seats are pretty awesome. The HYVEE level seats start at around $12 and provide a great birds eye view along with what one team official described as a "delicious" breeze. This is a matter of opinion, but I love to spread out when I can and take in a great view. The upper deck of Kauffman Stadium is one of those places where you can do this. Another nice spot is out in left field.
Kauffman Stadium is famous for the waterfalls, and now they are adding seating behind the fountains in left field. These seats are about $28, but it's a truly unique perspective. Where else can you sit near fountains and watch some baseball? Also the fans in left field tend to be a little more laid back than what you might experience in the inner bowl, so if that is your style; go for it. The Royals are using dynamic ticket pricing these days, meaning the prices fluctuate based on opponent, day of the week, etc. Keep an eye on the fan value corner. If you want to check out the view from some seats you have your eye on, check out this page.
I want to now discuss another angle to think about for tickets to a Royals game. Are you going to a day game or a night game? if you are going to a day game and you plan to sit in the upper deck, you better do as the song says and "wear sunscreen". The upper deck fans bake until golden brown at afternoon affairs in Kauffman Stadium. I like a good deal, but I hate being miserable. If you are going to a summer day game I would splurge for something in the 200 level, which will put you in the shade. Another cool option for a day game is to sit in the previously mentioned seats by the fountains. These fans get treated to a nice mist during the game which is just plain awesome.
Stubhub is the official marketplace for MLB tickets, and they protect you against fraudulent tickets. If you want to buy on Stubhub, you are usually better off if you can wait until close to game time. For baseball, you usually print your tickets at home after you buy. This means you can often buy tickets up until a couple hours before game time. From the seller perspective, Stubhub encourages sellers to reduce their price incrementally as the event gets closer so they aren't stuck with the tickets. So when you are looking at a game that starts in just a few hours, it is likely you are going to find some great value.
This site is dedicated to not necessarily finding the cheapest of everything, but finding the best bang for the rapidly declining buck. In this case, the cheap seats are pretty awesome. The HYVEE level seats start at around $12 and provide a great birds eye view along with what one team official described as a "delicious" breeze. This is a matter of opinion, but I love to spread out when I can and take in a great view. The upper deck of Kauffman Stadium is one of those places where you can do this. Another nice spot is out in left field.
Kauffman Stadium is famous for the waterfalls, and now they are adding seating behind the fountains in left field. These seats are about $28, but it's a truly unique perspective. Where else can you sit near fountains and watch some baseball? Also the fans in left field tend to be a little more laid back than what you might experience in the inner bowl, so if that is your style; go for it. The Royals are using dynamic ticket pricing these days, meaning the prices fluctuate based on opponent, day of the week, etc. Keep an eye on the fan value corner. If you want to check out the view from some seats you have your eye on, check out this page.
I want to now discuss another angle to think about for tickets to a Royals game. Are you going to a day game or a night game? if you are going to a day game and you plan to sit in the upper deck, you better do as the song says and "wear sunscreen". The upper deck fans bake until golden brown at afternoon affairs in Kauffman Stadium. I like a good deal, but I hate being miserable. If you are going to a summer day game I would splurge for something in the 200 level, which will put you in the shade. Another cool option for a day game is to sit in the previously mentioned seats by the fountains. These fans get treated to a nice mist during the game which is just plain awesome.
Stubhub is the official marketplace for MLB tickets, and they protect you against fraudulent tickets. If you want to buy on Stubhub, you are usually better off if you can wait until close to game time. For baseball, you usually print your tickets at home after you buy. This means you can often buy tickets up until a couple hours before game time. From the seller perspective, Stubhub encourages sellers to reduce their price incrementally as the event gets closer so they aren't stuck with the tickets. So when you are looking at a game that starts in just a few hours, it is likely you are going to find some great value.
Another great place to buy tickets is from Score Big. Let's face it, most ticket broker sites are the same but this one is actually different. It is kind of like the Priceline of sports tickets. Essentially you can search events in your area, and make an offer on tickets and get an instant answer on whether your bid is accepted.
Here are a couple of screenshots of how it works. You can select a quantity, and then it gives you different tiers. It gives you an approximate discount percentage, and shows on the seat map which sections your tickets could possibly be in.
Next you enter in a price, again it gives you an idea how how likely that is to be accepted. I made the comparison to Priceline, and it is true, you have to put in payment details prior to making an official offer. But if you are going to the game, what a great way to save money on tickets!
Here are discounts on upcoming games:
Here are a couple of screenshots of how it works. You can select a quantity, and then it gives you different tiers. It gives you an approximate discount percentage, and shows on the seat map which sections your tickets could possibly be in.
Next you enter in a price, again it gives you an idea how how likely that is to be accepted. I made the comparison to Priceline, and it is true, you have to put in payment details prior to making an official offer. But if you are going to the game, what a great way to save money on tickets!
Here are discounts on upcoming games:
food
Kauffman Stadium has a very liberal policy on bringing food into the stadium. So bring your own peanuts and even pick up a fast food dinner to eat at the game. If Kansas City is like Cincinnati, you undoubtedly have fans who complain about "ballpark prices". The next time you hear that, slap them. I guess that wouldn't be nice, but I get so frustrated when I hear fans complain about how expensive it is to go to a game. It doesn't have to be! And please, don't complain about the food prices unless you are a captive audience. If you want to protest the high prices, bring your own food. You can also bring in sealed bottles of water. I also understand that sometimes you just have to eat at the stadium so you feel like an American. If that spirit comes over you; please eat at Gates BBQ in the Stadium. Remember we are talking about value, so this will cost you a little more but if you are going to buy something, don't spend 5 bucks on crap if 10 bucks can get you a flavor explosion. You know what I am saying?
If you are looking for a good cheap meal near Kauffman Stadium, check out Lobito's Steakburger and Mexican. It is affordable, delicious and close to the ballpark.
Another option that I consistently recommend is Restaurant.com Here you can buy $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. You can also do a google search for "Restaurant.com coupon codes" and almost always get an extra 60 - 80% off that. I often buy these $25 certificates for $2. That is the best way to eat a decent meal before or after the game and save a chunk of change. When you follow the link, just type in the zip code of Kauffman stadium (64129) to see what restaurants are nearby.
Kauffman Stadium has a very liberal policy on bringing food into the stadium. So bring your own peanuts and even pick up a fast food dinner to eat at the game. If Kansas City is like Cincinnati, you undoubtedly have fans who complain about "ballpark prices". The next time you hear that, slap them. I guess that wouldn't be nice, but I get so frustrated when I hear fans complain about how expensive it is to go to a game. It doesn't have to be! And please, don't complain about the food prices unless you are a captive audience. If you want to protest the high prices, bring your own food. You can also bring in sealed bottles of water. I also understand that sometimes you just have to eat at the stadium so you feel like an American. If that spirit comes over you; please eat at Gates BBQ in the Stadium. Remember we are talking about value, so this will cost you a little more but if you are going to buy something, don't spend 5 bucks on crap if 10 bucks can get you a flavor explosion. You know what I am saying?
If you are looking for a good cheap meal near Kauffman Stadium, check out Lobito's Steakburger and Mexican. It is affordable, delicious and close to the ballpark.
Another option that I consistently recommend is Restaurant.com Here you can buy $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. You can also do a google search for "Restaurant.com coupon codes" and almost always get an extra 60 - 80% off that. I often buy these $25 certificates for $2. That is the best way to eat a decent meal before or after the game and save a chunk of change. When you follow the link, just type in the zip code of Kauffman stadium (64129) to see what restaurants are nearby.
fun, free things at Kauffman Stadium
Royals Hall of Fame
- No extra ticket is required to enjoy the Royals Hall of Fame once the gates to Kauffman Stadium Outfield Experience open prior to every Royals home game. Groups of up to 40 fans will be allowed into the Royals Hall of Fame every 15 minutes from the time the Outfield Experience opens through the top of the eighth inning.
- Free admission to the .390 Bar and Grille where you can enjoy the game in a climate controlled environment.