For a stadium that doesn’t have anything interesting around it, Kauffman Stadium is a pretty neat place to be in.
The stadium was packed for the Kansas City Royals’ home opener against the Minnesota Twins. More than 39,000 fans were in attendance for the game, which makes me wonder how so many people got the day off for 3:10 p.m. game on a Monday.
Kansas City Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel (28) is doused by shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) and catcher Salvador Perez (13) after winning 3-1 for for an home opening game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
Nonetheless, visiting Kauffman definitely opened my eyes when it came to experiencing an MLB game. For context, I’m a Chicago native and a big Cubs fan. Wrigley Field one of the best stadiums in the league, with lots of history and amenities in and outside the ballpark.
After experiencing an Opening Day at Kauffman, I can see why my fellow Star reporters rave about it so much. Here are my observations on the 52-year-old stadium, which could be left behind in favor of a new location in the near future.
Kauffman is a very family-friendly ballpark 
A young fan cheers while watching Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) during batting practice before the home opener against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
Remember when MLB had that “Let the kids play” movement as a way to promote its young stars? Well the Royals should find a way to take that name and use it for its outfield concourse.
When walking around the second level concourse, you would have thought you were at an amusement park and not a baseball game. There’s a playground, a carousel, a batting cage, and even a whole mini baseball field for the future superstars to get some work in.
Now I’m a grown man, so obviously the playground and carousel aren’t for me, but it’s still cool to see the focus on baseball being viewed as a kids’ game. They can see their favorite player hit a home run, all while hitting one of their own in the Little K ballpark.
The Little K ballpark at Kauffman Stadium. Rashad Alexander The Kansas City Star There’s plenty of food options, though they can be promoted better
One thing I recommend for those visiting a stadium for the first time is to try its unique ballpark food. Can it be expensive? Yes, but it’s all about the experience.
Kauffman has a lot of options for ballpark food, with majority of it being barbecue related of course. There’s the beloved Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, which y’all already know has a soft spot in my heart. You can also find yourself devouring a brisketacho, nachos loaded with barbecue sauce, brisket and more.
One thing I was on the lookout for were some of the Royals’ new menu items on the year. A beef Wellington hot dog, a beef short rib corn dog, and a chicken and waffle cone were some of the items introduced for the new year.
The problem was, I had no idea where any of that stuff was. Maybe it’s the rush of being on the concourse, but there wasn’t a lot of signage that led you to where these items were supposed to be.
Sure, you can walk around and hope to find what you’re looking for, but baseball games move pretty fast now with the pitch clock. Monday’s game clocked at 2 hours and 14 minutes. Searching for your food and waiting in those long lines will make you feel like you miss half the game.
So I didn’t get to try my beef Wellington hot dog, but I did try a place that I didn’t know Kauffman had: Chickie’s & Pete’s famous crabfries. My eyes widened at seeing the joint, as I remember how much I wanted to try them after seeing posts online about how popular they are at Phillies games.
Paying $16 for a cup of fries did feel ludicrous, but again, we’re here for the experience. On first glance, the fries looked fresh with so much seasoning I could barely see the color of the fry.
The crabfries from Chickie’s & Pete’s in Kauffman Stadium Rashad Alexander The Kansas City Star
And then I ate it, and was saddened by my expectations not being met. It wasn’t bad, but the way they were hyped up and how they looked, I thought this would be the best fry ever. Sadly, the fry wasn’t that crispy, and the cheese sauce wasn’t really worth anything.
Lesson of the day, kids: Don’t let some of these social media posts about the food fool you, because the disappointment sucks.
Fans are split about the stadium move, and I get it
As I was making my rounds throughout Kauffman, it donned on me that it won’t be here forever, as the Royals are seeking a new home. For a casual fan like me, it came as a surprise, considering how good they got it over here.
Lots of parking around the ballpark. A great outfield backdrop with the fountains and concourse of full display. A relatively easy stadium to get around. What else could you ask for?
Andrew Russell’s a Royals fan whose been coming to the games since 1973, the year Kauffman opened. He even remembered when the ballpark used artificial turf. It was later changed due to players getting hurt.
Russell’s seen a lot of history in Kauffman, which is why he hopes the team doesn’t move away. He did say if the Royals move, they should go to downtown Kansas City, as the stadium will be somewhere a little more vibrant. But the main thing for him: keeping the Kansas City Royals in the metro.
“But we want them to stay in the Kansas City area, because it’s so hard to have a team like this. And you want to be able to support it, because if you lose it, you may never get it back,” Russell said.
Another fan told me in passing that they’d want the stadium in downtown KC, though his reasoning was because the stadium being there would be more convenient for him to travel.
Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic (50) throws a pitch in the third inning during the home opener game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
Some people care about having things to do outside the stadium, others simply care about what’s inside the ballpark. Me? I’m on the fence. Even with the lack of things to do around Kauffman, the actual stadium makes up for it, especially with its standing zones for people to mingle and hang out. Though it would be nice to hang out after the game without having to drive 20 minutes away.
Kauffman will be a fun place to be in the summer
I’ve only been to a few baseball stadiums in my life, with my goal being to visit all 30. Going into Kauffman, my expectations were pretty low going into it, just because I figured with the potential move, the stadium must be trash. But, boy, was I wrong.
A flyover passes Kauffman Stadium before the home opener against the Minnesota Twins on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
I’m still loyal to my take that Wrigley Field is the best MLB stadium, but I feel like Kauffman can definitely be up there as well. Considering how pretty the ballpark is, its accessibility, and its activities to keep the fans engaged, I can see why people rave about this stadium and why there’s debate on what to do with it.
Part of the aura of Kauffman did come from the fans, however, as the sold-out crowd created a great Opening Day energy for the team. We’ll see how well this crowd lasts from now until October. But for a crowd to show out like that for a team that missed the postseason last year, Kauffman Stadium will definitely see me again this summer.
Royals fans hold up a sign during a home opening game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, March 30, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 8:39 AM.
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