KC FAQ

This first-of-its-kind partnership with Hallmark Cards will bring a new downtown ballpark, making Royals baseball more connected to the heart of Kansas City.  With a central location near the Streetcar, Union Station, Liberty Memorial, T-Mobile Center, and the Power & Light District, the Crown Center location offers a more convenient, connected gameday experience.

For our fans, that means easier access to games, more flexibility in how you arrive and leave, and more opportunities to be part of the experience before, during, and after the first pitch. Being in the center of the city allows our fans to meet up, explore, and come earlier and stay longer without the constraints of a single-purpose site.

We are building on the experience that fans know today at The K, with updated amenities, improved circulation, and more places to gather. Our goal is not to replace what works, but to carry it forward in a setting that feels more connected to the city.

For Kansas City, the surrounding development is expected to support local businesses and build on existing public investments downtown by adding activity beyond game days. Bringing more consistent foot traffic to the area will better support local restaurants, bars, hotels, and retail throughout the week.

At its core, this is about creating a better, more accessible experience for our fans, deepening the connection between the Royals and Kansas City, and welcoming new fans into the fold.

The new ballpark will carry forward the elements most associated with Royals baseball, including the fountains, CrownVision, and the welcoming, distinctly Kansas City feel of The K.

We also know our fans and visitors value having the best of Kansas City at the ballpark. Today, that includes partners such as Boulevard Brewing Company, Joe’s Kansas City BBQ, Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, and Charlie Hustle.

Populous, the hometown design firm behind the renovations at The K, is already working on the new ballpark design. The focus is on building on what Royals fans already love while evolving the experience for the future. That includes strong sightlines, an intimate seating bowl, and a design that keeps you close to the action.

These elements will shape a ballpark that feels familiar to longtime fans while creating new spaces and experiences for the future.

We are committed to offering ticket and concession options for a range of budgets and to maintaining a family-friendly experience.

While we can’t set pricing years in advance, our approach remains consistent: providing accessible ways for you to enjoy a game. Today, that includes value concessions priced at $5 or less, entry options such as the Fountain Pass at under $4 per game, and fixed-seat tickets starting around $20. We also offer family packages and group discounts for military, educators, students, healthcare workers, and Jackson County residents.

We also know this location offers many more ways for fans to reach our stadium, including free options like the Streetcar that don’t require parking fees. This is another important way this project lowers the cost of watching Royals baseball. A new ballpark is intended to build on these options, not limit them. Affordability has always been a priority for us, and it will continue to be.

We selected the downtown site in part for its strong access to roads, transit, and existing parking.

Fans will have multiple ways to get to the ballpark, including driving, taking the streetcar or other public transit, and walking from nearby neighborhoods, offices, and hotels. Being in the center of the city also offers more flexibility in how and when our fans and visitors arrive and depart.

There is significant parking capacity in the surrounding area to accommodate gameday demand, consistent with other downtown Major League ballparks, where fans arrive by a mix of driving, transit, and walking.

We will continue working with local and state transportation partners to finalize traffic patterns and route options and to implement operations that support smooth, efficient movement to and from games.

John Sherman and his ownership group have pledged to pay for the majority of this project – $2 billion of the ballpark’s and surrounding development’s estimated $3 billion combined cost.

That would represent the biggest private investment in any project in Kansas City’s history.

Last year, the State of Missouri passed the Show-Me Sports Investment Act, which redirects some state tax dollars generated by people working at and buying at a stadium to pay up to 50% of stadium construction costs. Along with the City of Kansas City, this represents an estimated $1 billion of support, or 25% of the total project.

The project does not rely on creating new taxes or extending existing taxes.

Like the vast majority of professional sports teams, the Royals were founded with public support, which, combined with ownership investment, has tied us to our community in mutually beneficial ways. We take that partnership seriously. 

Ownership signed Bobby Witt Jr. to the largest contract in franchise history, and the team returned to the postseason in 2024. We’ve also continued to invest in our most successful players, and our team ranks among the top in MLB for the percentage of revenue invested directly into players. 

Off the field, we reached 17,000 kids and families through the Urban Youth Academy and invested more than $6 million into the community in 2025, the most of any team in Kansas City and among the top five in MLB. We have been nationally recognized for this work, particularly in childhood literacy, and 97% of fans surveyed believe the Royals have a positive influence in Kansas City. 

We believe this project will build on that track record and support surrounding businesses and neighborhoods. We have heard from business owners and our local community leaders, who are encouraged by the additional activity a new ballpark could bring to their shops, restaurants, and gathering places. 

“This is the happiest day in my life,” our founder Ewing Kauffman said when he won the bid for an expansion team here. “This city will never again lose Major League Baseball.”

Our Chairman and CEO John Sherman, who was a season ticket holder for decades before buying the team, takes those words to heart.

“This process is about making sure we fulfill Ewing Kauffman’s promise that the Royals are Kansas City’s forever,” he said.

We expect to play at Kauffman Stadium through the 2029 season and are targeting 2030 for the opening of our new ballpark.

The final seasons at The K will be an opportunity to celebrate one of baseball’s most iconic ballparks and the memories generations of fans have made there. We will continue to highlight signature elements like the fountains and CrownVision while recognizing key moments, players, and milestones from the team’s history.

At the same time, we will continue to deliver the gameday experience our fans expect today while preparing for what comes next. This transition is about honoring The K’s legacy while building the next chapter for the Royals in Kansas City.

We’re working on that.

Kauffman Stadium features new dimensions this season, a decision made by Baseball Operations and supported by ownership. Our Research and Development team evaluated multiple scenarios to achieve a fair balance between hitters and pitchers while maintaining a competitive edge.

That same level of care will guide the look, feel, and dimensions of the new ballpark.

Local leaders and developers are already exploring the best uses for The K and the rest of Truman Sports Complex, including County Executive Phil LeVota recently announcing a task force to decide TSC’s best future use.

The Crown Center site brings John Sherman’s vision for a downtown ballpark to life, nestled among some of Kansas City’s most iconic landmarks, including Crown Center, Liberty Memorial, and Union Station. Together, these places tell a distinctly authentic Kansas City story. We also want to play every day in the part of the city that has long been the heart of our biggest celebrations and a showcase for Kansas City at its best.

We believe this setting strengthens downtown energy and builds on the momentum of the past twenty years. With thousands of parking spaces within a 10-minute walk, direct streetcar access, nearby bike trails, and Amtrak connections, we see this site as one of the most accessible in Major League Baseball.

Building on recent survey insights, we will continue to honor the authenticity of Kansas City through signature elements such as our fountains and a reimagined CrownVision scoreboard. We see a downtown ballpark as an opportunity to seamlessly integrate fan experiences both inside and outside the venue, and we believe the Crown Center location is uniquely positioned to bring that vision to life.

We envision our new ballpark offering a wide range of experiences, from intimate, personal moments to large-scale community gatherings. Located in the heart of the city, it will reflect the very best of Kansas City, drawing on the character of our parks, boulevards, fountains, arts, and philanthropic spirit. We envision it as a true gathering place for the community. 

There is little to no precedent worldwide for a sports development of this scale, particularly in a downtown. This project could not have been imagined before the principals of the Royals and Hallmark reconnected.

The plan includes a public-private partnership, with private investment from the Royals and others expected to be at least three times the local investment from the City of Kansas City. Mayor Quinton Lucas has called this the single biggest economic development project in our hometown’s history.

The project is expected to generate significant job creation, strengthen the local economy, and build on prior public and private investments. Its location in the urban core, with direct access to the Streetcar and surrounding neighborhoods, makes attending Royals games more convenient and accessible.