Ahead of the start of the 2023 NFL Season, we’re putting together a series of NFL Stadium Visitor Guides highlighting some of the key features and facilities, as well as a selection of ‘New Attractions’ and ‘Visitor Highlights’ in and around each stadium.
Next Up: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Arrowhead Stadium – Mike Day © Visit KC
Officially named GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, the venue is a beloved fixture in Kansas City, currently home to the reigning Super Bowl Champion, Kansas City Chiefs. A formidable stadium for opposing teams, the stadium is notable for holding the Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium in the world!
In addition to the game-day environment and world-class tailgating, visitors can experience the stadium with year-round Stadium Tours. Offered on Fridays and Saturdays, the Public Guided Tours offer a 90-minute guided tour of the press box, CommunityAmerica Club Level, Field, Press Conference Room, Broadcast Area and Founder’s Club, as well as the newly renovated Chiefs Locker Room and Hall of Honour.
Recent improvements to Arrowhead Stadium include an upgraded sound and scoreboard system, a 360-degree video ribbon board, concourses that have doubled in size, and an upgraded variety of food and beverage options.
The act of tailgating isn’t unique to Arrowhead. But the turnout, and the passion with which Kansas City tailgaters execute this football tradition, are unique—so much so that Arrowhead tailgate parties attract participants from around the nation.
Arrowhead Tailgating Facts:
- Gates open 3 1/2 hours prior to kickoff
- Trailers are permitted but will be charged for an extra parking space and must park in the grass.
- RVs and motorhomes need to enter the sports complex through gate 6.
- Parking lots close 90 minutes following games or stadium events
For more information on Arrowhead Parking & Tailgating Information, please CLICK HERE.
Arrowhead Stadium © Visit KC
The impressive art collection at Arrowhead Stadium is designed to celebrate regional art while providing educational opportunities and engaging the community. A call for artists was issued to the surrounding region including Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and Arkansas, inviting interested artists to submit examples of their work to be considered for inclusion in the Arrowhead Art Collection.
Thirty-seven pieces of art have been installed to date and plans are underway for additional installations. The Chiefs have introduced an educational program that will give children ages 8-12 the opportunity to visit Arrowhead and learn about art with a curriculum that mirrors the Common Core standards in both Missouri and Kansas.
The Kansas City Chiefs have eight home games scheduled for the 2023 NFL Season, opening with a visit from the Detroit Lions on 8 September 2023, 7:20pm CDT.
The 2023 home schedule also sees visits from the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday 22 October, Philadelphia Eagles on Monday 20 November, and Buffalo Bills on Sunday 10 December.
For more information on the stadium and the 2023 season, please visit: https://www.chiefs.com/stadium/
Arrowhead Stadium © Visit KC
If you’re in need of Chiefs attire to sport at Arrowhead, head to the Country Club Plaza, Kansas City’s premier outdoor shopping district. The Country Club Plaza is home to two Rally House stores, along with Charlie Hustle and the Made in KC marketplace, which all offer KC and Chiefs apparel.
Before or after visiting Arrowhead, hungry diners can enjoy Kansas City’s world-famous barbecue at the nearby Gates Bar-B-Q East, a third-generation family business operating for over 75 years. Gates is a popular institution with multiple locations across the Kansas City metro, known for its award-winning barbecue sauce and ribs. Another crowd favourite nearby is LC’s Bar-B-Q, a no-frills joint operating in a former gas station. Chiefs fans flock to LC’s on game days to enjoy their burnt ends, smoked wings and thick-cut fries.
Sports fans will enjoy a visit to the Power & Light District, home to more than 50 bars, restaurants and shops. The highlight is the KC Live! Block, an entertainment hub surrounding a covered outdoor courtyard that hosts events throughout the year. Fans rally to cheer on their favorite teams at the bars or during watch parties on the big screen.
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Michael Edwards © Visit KC
TOP ATTRACTIONS & VISITOR HIGHLIGHTS
National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. Designated by Congress as America’s official World War I Museum and Memorial and located in downtown Kansas City, Mo., the National WWI Museum and Memorial inspires thought, dialogue and learning to make the experiences of the Great War era meaningful and relevant for present and future generations. With more than 300,000 objects and documents, the museum holds the most diverse collection of Great War items in the world. Each visitor’s journey begins with a surreal walk across a glass-floored bridge. A lush field of 9,000 red poppies lies below, each flower representing 1,000 military deaths.
Part of the Museums at the 18th & Vine complex, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum recreates the look, sounds and feel of the game’s storied past. Video presentations and memorabilia in the 10,000 square-foot multimedia exhibit chronicle the history and heroes of the leagues from their origin after the Civil War to their end in the 1960s. Since its founding, the NLBM has welcomed more than 2 million visitors and has become one of the most important cultural institutions in the world for its work to give voice to a once forgotten chapter of baseball and American history. In July 2006, the NLBM gained National Designation from the United States Congress earning the distinction of being “America’s National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.”
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Discover the power of art and spirit of the community at the internationally recognized Nelson-Atkins. The power of art and the spirit of community are the heart of The Nelson-Atkins. With more than 42,000 art objects as part of the encyclopedic collection and free admission, you can take your time explore masterworks ranging from Ancient times to today, including one of the top three Asian art collections worldwide, commissioned Contemporary installations and exceptional Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. Named one of America’s “Top Ten Lawns with a View,” the 22-acre Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park is home to the nation’s largest collection of monumental bronzes by Henry Moore. The Sculpture Park also features Kansas City’s iconic installation Shuttlecocks.
Housing the largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world, the Arabia Steamboat Museum features more than 200 tons of recovered artifacts from the sunken 1856 steamboat Arabia. The museum’s exhibits and “touchable treasures” tell the story of the boat’s Missouri River demise and amazing rediscovery in 1988. Called the King Tut’s Tomb of the Missouri River, the Arabia’s impressive cargo includes everything from tools and dishware to toys and still-edible sweet pickles. A full-scale replica of the Arabia’s 171-foot boat deck features a 28-foot working paddle wheel. Alongside it is the skeleton of a mule—the only life lost in the Arabia’s sinking. Visitors can stop by the working preservation lab to learn how materials are cleaned and preserved. This painstaking process will take perhaps 25 years to complete, with half the cargo on display and another 100 tons in storage.
Union Station Kansas City is a 104-year-old historical landmark and celebrated civic asset renovated and reopened to the public in 1999. Recently awarded “Favourite Attraction”, “Favourite Family-Friendly Attraction”, “Favourite Historic Attraction” and “Best of KC”, the organisation—dedicated to science education, celebration of community and preservation of history—is home to Kansas City’s internationally-awarded Science City—powered by Burns & McDonnell; the new Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium; the Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre; the popular Model Railroad Experience; City Stage featuring live theater, and a selection of unique shops and restaurants. Union Station is also home to prominent area civic organisations and businesses, and regularly hosts world-class traveling exhibitions.
