Kauffman Stadium Game Day Guide
Kansas City Royals · Kansas City, MO
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Each guest may bring one clear bag up to 12 x 12 x 6 inches or one clear one-gallon zip-seal bag, plus one clutch up to 9 x 5 inches.
Medical bags and manufactured diaper bags accompanying infants or young children may be admitted after inspection.
- Bag storage
Kauffman Stadium does not store prohibited items at the gates or Guest Services.
Guests must return prohibited items to their vehicle or discard them; discarded items cannot be recovered.
- Gate opening
All Kauffman Stadium gates open 90 minutes before Friday through Sunday games and one hour before Monday through Thursday games.
CommunityAmerica Gate C opens two hours early only for Crown Club ticket holders in Sections 1-6.
- Mobile tickets
All Royals tickets are digital and must be scanned from the MLB Ballpark app on a mobile device.
Screenshots and print-at-home tickets are not accepted; contact ticketservices@royals.com before arrival if tickets are missing from the app.
- Re-entry
Kauffman Stadium does not permit general re-entry after a guest exits.
For an emergency or other valid reason, obtain management approval and a wristband at the Plaza Level Guest Services office before leaving.
- Prohibited items
Kauffman Stadium prohibits weapons, firearms, pocketknives, fireworks, drones, noncompliant bags, hard-sided coolers, outside alcohol, aerosol cans, and frozen bottles.
Bats, lasers, most noisemakers, large camera lenses, beach balls, other inflatables, and items that could become projectiles are also prohibited; review the official list before arrival.
- First aid
First Aid is on the Plaza Level behind the UMB Diamond Club Lobby and on the View Level behind Section 420.
- Nursing and lactation
The nursing room is on the Plaza Level behind home plate next to First Aid.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are near Sections 115, 140, 201, 210, 218, 237, 245, 252, 305, and 320.
Adult changing tables are in family restrooms near Sections 218, 101-252, and 320, with additional changing beds in both First Aid locations.
- Tickets for children
Children 32 inches tall or shorter do not need a ticket when seated on an accompanying adult's lap.
- Guest services
Guest Services offices are on the Plaza Level behind the UMB Diamond Club Lobby and on the View Level behind home plate at Section 420.
For in-game help, text ASSIST with the location and issue to 42682.
- Service animals
Service animals are permitted at Kauffman Stadium, and guests should notify staff at entry when one is present.
Relief areas are in the grass near Gates A and E.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking and vaping are permitted only in Kauffman Stadium's designated areas.
Designated sections are along the Plaza Level fence behind the first- and third-base stadium walls and on the View Level behind the Boulevard Space Station.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Kauffman Stadium, hour by hour.
Arrive at the Truman Sports Complex
Drive to the stadium lots. They open 3 hours before first pitch. This is when the tailgating starts.
Full tailgate mode
The lots are filled with BBQ smoke, cold beer, and Royals fans. The best tailgating scene in baseball.
Enter Kauffman Stadium
Walk through the main gates and take in the fountain view beyond center field.
Watch batting practice
Head to the outfield sections near the fountains. The water features are the signature visual.
Find your seat
Settle in with a burnt ends sandwich and a Boulevard Wheat. The Kansas City sunset behind the outfield is one of baseball's most beautiful views.
Play ball
Nine innings of baseball at the K. The fountains dance between innings and erupt for Royals home runs.
Stand up and stretch
Grab a final KC BBQ sandwich. The sunset over the Kansas City horizon creates one of baseball's best moments.
Continue the tailgate or head downtown
Many fans continue tailgating after the game. Or head to the Power & Light District for nightlife.
Tips & Fan Reports
Kauffman Stadium has the largest HD video board in MLB and the iconic fountains beyond center field.
KC BBQ burnt ends, pulled pork, and ribs are available inside the park. But the lot BBQ is better.
Tailgating in the Truman Sports Complex lots is a Kansas City tradition. Arrive early and bring the grill.
The fountains beyond the outfield are the largest privately funded fountain system in the world.
Tailgating IS the pregame scene at the K. Arrive 3+ hours early with a grill, cooler, and cornhole set.
The grass is not parking, however much of it there appears to be.
Keep the drive lanes clear: no tents or equipment in them, which shapes how wide a setup can go.
A big group should expect to be sent to Lot L rather than parking together wherever they like.
Buy parking online ahead: $21 general is the advance rate, and an oversize vehicle needs its own $41 pass.
Before the Game
Tailgating is allowed at Kauffman Stadium, with the constraint being footprint rather than fuel: use only the tailgate area behind your own vehicle, and keep tents and equipment out of the drive lanes inside the lots. Large groups are directed to Lot L rather than being left to spread across the general parking. Vehicles may not park on the grass, and the lots close an hour after the event ends. Bought in advance online, general parking runs $21, reserved $36, and an oversize vehicle pass $41.
Where to Go Before the Game
Lot L
Where the stadium directs large tailgate groups, rather than letting them spread across several bays in the general lots.
Known for For large groups · Directed by staff
The general parking lots
The lots around the ballpark, where tailgating happens in the area behind your own vehicle. Advance online rates are $21 general, $36 reserved and $41 oversize.
Known for $21 general in advance · Behind your vehicle only · No parking on grass
The drive lanes
The lanes running between the rows inside the lots, which must stay clear: tents and other equipment may not be set up in them at any point.
Known for Must stay clear · No tents or equipment
Pregame Rules
What Kauffman Stadium allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Tailgating is allowed, but guests must use only the tailgate area behind their vehicle.
- Large tailgate groups will be directed to Lot L.
- Tents and other equipment may not be set up in the drive lanes inside the lots.
- Vehicles may not be parked on the grass.
- Parking lots close one hour after the event ends.
- Purchased online in advance, a General Parking pass is $21, a Reserved Parking pass is $36 and an Oversize Vehicle Parking pass is $41.
Weather
Kauffman Stadium is open air, so these are the conditions you sit in.
Across the MLB season the warmest month is July, with an average high of 87°F, and the coldest is April, when the average low is 43°F. May is the wettest month at 6.0 inches and October the driest at 3.5 inches.
That April low ranks 11th coldest of the 30 MLB venues, and May here ranks 5th wettest.
April
4.4 inchesMay
6.0 inchesJune
5.3 inchesJuly
5.1 inchesAugust
5.1 inchesSeptember
4.8 inchesOctober
3.5 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Guests may bring an individual portion of food in a clear plastic bag up to one gallon and one sealed, unfrozen plastic water bottle up to one liter per person.
- A card or a phone wallet
Kauffman Stadium is cashless.
- A warm layer for after dark
April nights average 43°F at Kauffman Stadium.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
July highs average 87°F at Kauffman Stadium, with no roof over the seats.
- A rain layer
May averages 6.0 inches of rain here.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: All Kauffman Stadium gates open 90 minutes before Friday through Sunday games and one hour before Monday through Thursday games.
- Pregame
Kansas City Royals official site: Kauffman Stadium Policies and Procedures, Parking, and Parking FAQs
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Royals Kauffman Stadium, accessibility, dining, parking, and mobile-ticket guidance reviewed for entry, family, payment, food, parking, and accessibility rules.