The Truman Sports Complex hosts both Arrowhead Stadium (Chiefs, NFL) and Kauffman Stadium (Royals, MLB) on a single 200-acre site east of downtown Kansas City. The complex was completed in 1972-1973 and was one of the first major US sports complexes to combine separate major-league football and baseball stadiums on the same site. It is named for Harry S. Truman, the 33rd US President + Jackson County native.

History

Commission + construction (1968-1973)

In the late 1960s, Jackson County voters approved a bond issue to fund a new combined sports complex. The voters specifically rejected proposals to build a multi-purpose stadium that both the Chiefs + Royals would share — instead choosing to build two separate purpose-built stadiums on the same complex.1

The complex design is credited to architect Charles Deaton, whose concept — including a never-built rolling roof that would have covered either stadium — was carried into construction documents by the Kansas City firm Kivett and Myers, the architects of record for both stadiums.123 (Kivett and Myers is a predecessor of the sports-architecture practice that became HOK Sport and later Populous, which handled the 2000s renovations — but Populous did not design the original stadiums.)23

Both stadiums opened in close succession:

  • Arrowhead Stadium — opened August 12, 1972 (Chiefs); original cost approximately $43 million2
  • Royals Stadium — opened April 10, 1973 (Royals)3

Naming for Truman (1972-1973)

The complex was named for Harry S. Truman (harry-truman) — the 33rd US President + lifelong Jackson County (Independence) resident. The naming honored Truman’s KC-Jackson County identity + occurred a year after his December 1972 death.

Modern era

Jackson County voters approved a 3/8-cent sales tax in a 2006 referendum to fund renovation of both stadiums. A companion measure to build the long-deferred rolling roof failed.1 Both stadiums were then rebuilt by Populous:

  • Arrowhead Stadium — $375 million renovation, complete for the 2010 NFL season2
  • Kauffman Stadium — $250 million renovation, complete for MLB Opening Day 200913

In March 2021 the Chiefs sold field naming rights for the first time; the venue’s formal name became GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium from the 2021 season, under a contract running to the end of the team’s Jackson County lease in January 2031.4

The complex hosts:

  • The Kansas City Chiefs (kansas-city-chiefs) — NFL franchise
  • The Kansas City Royals (kc-royals) — MLB franchise
  • Concerts + special events at both stadiums
  • Multiple championship celebrations including Royals 1985 + 2015 World Series + Chiefs Super Bowl LIV, LVII, LVIII victory celebrations

Future status (as of August 2026)

On April 2, 2024, Jackson County voters rejected a 40-year extension of the existing 3/8-cent sales tax that would have funded a new downtown Royals ballpark and a renovation of Arrowhead. Both teams then pursued alternatives, and the complex’s future changed decisively in the following two years.

Chiefs — leaving for Kansas. On December 22, 2025, following approval of a STAR bond incentives package by Kansas lawmakers, Governor Laura Kelly announced that the Chiefs will build a new $3 billion domed stadium in Wyandotte County, Kansas, expected near the Legends / Village West area of Kansas City, Kansas. The agreement targets an opening for the 2031 NFL season and includes new team headquarters and training facilities in Olathe, bringing the total project to roughly $4 billion.5 On February 5, 2026, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas voted 7–3 to participate in the STAR bond project.6 Arrowhead is expected to be vacated after the 2031 season.2

Royals — pursuing a downtown Missouri ballpark. Kansas officials closed the STAR bond window for the Royals in January 2026. On April 9, 2026, the Kansas City, Missouri City Council introduced a financing ordinance for a ballpark at Washington Square Park, near Union Station and Crown Center; the ordinance advanced out of committee to the full council with a recommendation to pass on April 16, 2026, directing the city manager to pursue a lease and development agreement with the club.7 No ballpark had broken ground as of this page’s last update. The Royals have also announced a partnership with Hallmark Cards around a ballpark and entertainment district at Crown Center; the relationship between that announcement and the Washington Square Park ordinance is not fully resolved here.3

Taken together, these decisions point toward the eventual end of the Truman Sports Complex as a two-franchise site.

Stadium details

Arrowhead Stadium (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium)

  • Capacity: 76,416 (since the 2010 renovation)2
  • Configuration: Open-air football stadium
  • Notable features: Distinctive red-painted design; some of the loudest fan environments in the NFL
  • Loudest stadium in the world record — set during Chiefs games

Kauffman Stadium

  • Capacity: 38,053 (2026)3
  • Configuration: Open-air baseball stadium with distinctive crown-shaped scoreboard + fountains beyond outfield
  • Notable features: Famous outfield fountains + waterfalls; one of MLB’s most-photographed stadium views
  • Crown Cam: Iconic stadium feature

Cultural significance

The Truman Sports Complex is Kansas City’s most-significant sports infrastructure + a defining element of KC’s modern sports identity. The combination of:

  • NFL Chiefs + MLB Royals on a single complex
  • Three Chiefs Super Bowl championships (LIV in 2020, LVII in 2023, LVIII in 2024)2
  • Two Royals World Series championships (1985, 2015)
  • Multiple iconic moments + cultural memory

establishes the complex as a foundational KC civic-sports landmark.

Visiting

  • Address: Truman Sports Complex, 1 Royal Way + 1 Arrowhead Dr, Kansas City, MO
  • Public access: During scheduled events; ticketing required
  • Tours: Available for both stadiums8

Neighborhood context

  • Neighborhood: East KC / Raytown adjacency
  • Adjacent landmarks: I-70 + I-435 interchanges; the complex sits east of downtown along the I-70 corridor

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia — “Truman Sports Complex.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Wikipedia — “Arrowhead Stadium.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  3. Wikipedia — “Kauffman Stadium.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  4. GEHA — “GEHA and Chiefs announce naming rights agreement for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium,” March 4, 2021 ↩

  5. KCUR — “It’s official: The Kansas City Chiefs are moving from Missouri to Wyandotte County, Kansas,” December 22, 2025 ↩

  6. The Beacon: Kansas City — “Wyandotte County greenlights STAR bond participation for proposed Chiefs stadium,” February 11, 2026 (Board of Commissioners meeting of February 5, 2026) ↩

  7. KSHB 41 — “Kansas City Royals stadium financing ordinance advances to KCMO City Council” (Charlie Keegan), with a dated timeline of the 2026 stadium negotiations ↩

  8. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium — official venue site ↩

See also

Categories
  • Concept
  • Building
  • Sports
  • Modern

On the record — ks.city/wiki/buildings/truman-sports-complex · last revised 2026-08-01