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Our son Jace is our sports fanatic. He lives, eats, and breaths all sports all the time. Now that it is baseball season, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to take him to watch one of his favorite players Aaron Judge. Since New York was not a realistic trip for our family, we decided to make a trip to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City for the Yankees game against the Royals.
where to sit
Our game started at 6:40pm. It was beautiful weather, but I did pay attention to where the prime seats were if you wanted to be close to the action but be a bit shaded from the sun. The answer is anywhere on the visitor side. We were in the very back row of section 223. Those were great seats for us as we were close enough to have a good view of the game, but we were able to make a quick escape to the bathroom or concession stands! As you can see the outfield and part of the home seating were in the sun for at least an hour of the game.
Where we Stayed
Our youngest son Jax is a thrill seeker. He has a need for speed, which I’m sure he inherited from his father. Anyhow, we decided to appease Jax and stay at Great Wolf Lodge for endless trips down the waterslides. As tiring as it was, Great Wolf Lodge always creates great memories for our family! Great Wolf Lodge was about a half hour drive to Kauffman Stadium. We did run into a bit of traffic on the way to the game so remember to allot plenty of drive time (at least ten minutes) to arrive on time.
What time to arrive at Kauffman
First of all, we arrived about an hour early to be able to check out the “outfield experience” which included, kids batting cages, pitchers’ mounds, kids’ carousel, and a playground. The outfield experience was also open during the game if you would rather get in line for food and refreshments, as those lines form very quickly and can be quite a bit of a wait.
Parking
We bought parking tickets ($30) through the MLB app. That made parking a dream. They were very organized and had plenty of staff directing you exactly where to go all the way to your parking spot. This gave us a little less than a block to walk to the stadium which is perfect for little legs.
early bird – game day experience
Kauffman also offers early bird packages! I think this is an excellent option no matter what team you are rooting for. It appears that the early bird package may vary with how much you are interested in seeing, but they offer a standard $17 dollar ticket that allows you in early to watch each teams batting practice. Other packages offer Stadium tours, a press box visit, even helping a grounds man install bases. Those activities may vary depending on the dates so be sure to check here for your game date.
social seating
If you are going to the game with friends and would like a more social experience Kauffman offers an array of fun experiences. You are able to watch the game anywhere from The Fountain Deck to a sports bar, or tavern. Check out all the social seating options here.
We love having such a nice stadium so close to home! We may splurge for the batting practice tickets at our next visit. If your kids are up to the whole experience, you can never start too early. The stadium fills fast and makes it a bit overwhelming to see all the sites. The early bird option appears to offer a bit of a less hectic experience, and the opportunity to get a better view of their idols.