Attending my first Chiefs game

[AussieChiefsFan]

It's been a long time coming, but I'm finally planning to make the big trip to visit Kansas City from Australia to see my Chiefs play. With this thread I'm mainly keen to suss out the seating situation at Arrowhead, but any general advice or useful information to know when visiting Kansas City would be great to hear.

I've been in touch with a ticket rep, so generally know how the ticket buying process works and I'm ready to grab a couple of home game tickets shortly after the schedule is released this week. I plan on going to the home opener, so I have my fingers crossed that there will be at least two home games in the first three weeks of the season. A couple of basic questions I have:

• Where are the best seats at Arrowhead? Either midfield or an endzone might be the obvious choices, but if anyone can provide specific advice on this that would be great. i.e. best value seats for the price, best view of the field/team, etc. I'm aware the ticket prices are high at the moment but it is what it is.

• Is there anything to do at Arrowhead during the week when games aren't being played and during away games? I.e. tours of the stadium, Chiefs related events, etc.

And about the City:

• What are the must do's and must see's in Kansas City? Chiefs related or otherwise.

Aside from Chiefs home games, I'm hoping to catch at least one Mizzou and/or K-State game, as well as a Royals game and Sporting Kansas City match (depresso I know, but when in Rome right). A trip to the Pro Football HOF would also be on the list if at all possible. I'll probably bump this thread a few times over the coming months with more questions, but decided to get the ball rolling by hearing what the upstanding Kansas Citians of the Planet have to say first!

Cheers

[Rain Man]

I have a Missouri relative who raves about Famous Dave's. I don't get it. I picked a completely random barbecue place in his town the last time I was there and it was far better. Famous Dave's is a last-resort barbecue place when you're having barbecue withdrawal and there's no other place around.

[scho63]

Not sure how long you've been a fan but I was choked up and overwhelmed my first time. Treated myself for my 50th birthday.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

I want to send him to the plaza, liberty memorial, nelson-atkins and crossroads maybe kauffman center or power and light.

I mean it was a BBQ rec not a cruelty free soy latte

You know, like what the city is actually famous for and sometimes its worth it for a traveler to venture into the less popular areas to find the hidden gems only locals know about and share info about on this site

[AussieChiefsFan]

Thanks to everyone with recommendations so far.

Originally Posted by Fish

Outback Steak House.

**** you

Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

We love Fosters in the US. Word on the street is that, “It’s Australian for beer”.

Can't say I've met anyone that drinks Fosters regularly.

Originally Posted by Bearcat

The original Joe's KC at the gas station is a must.

After that, tell us what you enjoy doing.


I've always enjoyed the first few rows of the upper deck, whether it's midfield or the all-22 view behind an end zone.... but if money is no object, sitting close to the Chiefs bench is amazing.

I'm not made of money but this is probably a once in a (very long) while kind of trip so will pay what I need to get the most out of it. Midfield at the Chiefs bench is what I had in mind initially.

More generally I enjoy all kinds of sightseeing. Everything from hikes to those lookouts at the upper floors of skyscrapers. The Ozarks seem interesting? I do plan on visiting the US again one day, but this go round will mainly be dedicated to KC, the surrounding area and maybe other parts of the US where one/two day trips are a realistic option during the week between games.

Originally Posted by RedinTexas

Be aware that the pro football HOF is located in Canton, Ohio. It is nearly 800 miles from Kansas City or about a 12 hour drive. I don't know if that works for you or not.

Yeah, once I've got a plan for the KC side of things I'll look into how realistic a trip to Canton will be. I know that it's essentially in the middle of nowhere and I would need to get a flight to.. Cleveland?

Originally Posted by bigjosh

Even domestic flights in the US are a pain in the ass with security and delays so plan accordingly.

Thanks Ill keep that in mind. I've had a quick look at flights from KC to other major cities and the prices seemed somewhat reasonable compared to what Aussie are paying at the moment for intercity flights. But again, will need to suss out how realistic it will be if I want to fly into other cities and back to KC.

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

By yourself or what?

Most likely.

Originally Posted by chinaski

The Nelson-Atkins museum is world class if you are into viewing art, plus it's another incredible piece of KC architecture along with Union Station (which is also a must do).

Steamboat Arabia Museum.

Def also interested in museums and architectural attractions. I'm an urban planner, so will be keen to learn about the history of the City and any historical building/items that are significant to the area.

Originally Posted by wazu

Lots of different opinions on this. Some say they prefer upper level to lower level. I've sat in a lot of both and consider lower level to be way better. Upper level is still great, but lower level is plenty elevated enough to see everything, but it all just seems closer because it is.

In my experience anything lower level between the 20s is outstanding. If it were me making a once-in-a-lifetime international trip, I'd be looking for something as close to the field, and as close to the 50 as I could swing, and if I was spending the money to get really close to that spot I'd be looking on the Chiefs sideline.

George Blowfish has front row seats on the 50 that my son and I got to sit in once. My son caught a glove that Demarcus Robinson tossed him. Those seats are practically on the team bench and just watching what's going on with the Chiefs sideline is fascinating.

Sounds awesome. Are we talking front row or within a few rows of the first row in the lower deck?

Originally Posted by Tylerthigpen!1!

If you don't end up on the first couple rows of the chiefs sideline, I would base my choice on the position of the sun. I always hated getting roasted in the sun and paying 10 bucks for water.

Are you allowed to bring any food/water into the stadium?

Originally Posted by Strongside

Congratulations!

You won't find a bad seat in Arrowhead, but sitting in the lower level probably provides the best overall experience.

During the week, tours are availabe at Arrowhead.

Plan to stay downtown, not near the stadium. The stadium is off the beaten path and there's not much to do out there in terms of restaurants, shopping, entertainment, etc. You'll have a much better time staying in the downtown area. Look at downtown proper, River Market, Crossroads, Union Station area. These are all along the street car route, and will allow you to travel through the KC downtown area for free without the need for a car.

Definitely visit the WW1 museum while you're here. Australia played a major role (over 300k soldiers) in WW1, and several Aussie uniforms and relics are on display in the museum.

Also, see some live jazz while you're here. The Green Lady Lounge is my favorite – grab a cocktail there one evening and take in the prohibition era vibes. Also worth visiting if you're into live music is Knucklehead's Saloon, which is in Electric Park near the J. Reiger Distillery. They have live blues/country/rock music every day and some of the cheapest drink prices in town.

Have fun!

Will do. ANZAC day (our military remembrance day) is mostly about WW1 so would be amazing to see the museum in KC. I've been to the war memorial/museum in Seoul, Korea and they also had a section on Australia. Pretty cool to see our diggers getting some love overseas.

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

If you're there for the first three weeks of the season there is a good chance it will still be hot as balls.


Then again being from Australia maybe it will be perfect for you.


Just go to the Plaza and downtown ffs don't go see the Roos lmao

I'll manage as long as it's not blistering hot one day and below freezing the next .

Originally Posted by Frazod

Another thing to consider while you're here is visiting a range. It will probably the only chance you'll ever have to fire a gun.

I work at a range now, and we often get foreigners who come in wanting to shoot. As long as they have passports and are from a country on the accepted list, which includes Australia, they're good to go. They pretty much universally enjoy the experience.

If there's a good range near KC then I'm down. I've fired a couple of different rifles and handguns at ranges but overall haven't spent much time shooting so would be fun.

[Spott]

Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan

Yeah, once I've got a plan for the KC side of things I'll look into how realistic a trip to Canton will be. I know that it's essentially in the middle of nowhere and I would need to get a flight to.. Cleveland?

You would probably have to fly into Cleveland. Akron/Canton does have an airport, but only a few airlines fly into there and I’m pretty sure none to KC. If you were to travel to Cleveland, it’s about a 45-60 minute drive to the HOF from there. Pittsburgh is a little further from Canton than Cleveland, so it’s also an option if you decide you want to do it. You could always make it a weekend trip and just take a small backpack so the travel would be easier.

The Rock and Roll HOF is in downtown Cleveland right next to the factory of sadness(Browns Stadium) and is also cool to see. Both HOF’s are pretty cool, but there’s not much else to see in the area.

[AussieChiefsFan]

How quickly are single game tickets selling out these days and how many seats are reserved for season ticket holders? And how about lower deck tickets around the 50 selling out?

The ticket rep told me that tickets go on sale at 8.30am Friday KC time, which would be 11.30pm Friday my time. I'll aim to get a gameplan together on Friday to grab tix asap once they go on sale that night. Really really holding out for at least two home games in the first three weeks, assuming the season opener is a home game. Looking at the past few season it looks like its 50/50.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Fish

If you time it right, you can catch the McRib tour while in town. Get a taste of some real KC BBQ...

Think that's only on the menu early in the year. He'll have to suck it up and eat some other "BBQ". I guess there are some others that could pass as good in KC. Maybe Wendy's?

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan

More generally I enjoy all kinds of sightseeing. Everything from hikes to those lookouts at the upper floors of skyscrapers. The Ozarks seem interesting? I do plan on visiting the US again one day, but this go round will mainly be dedicated to KC, the surrounding area and maybe other parts of the US where one/two day trips are a realistic option during the week between games.

Thanks Ill keep that in mind. I've had a quick look at flights from KC to other major cities and the prices seemed somewhat reasonable compared to what Aussie are paying at the moment for intercity flights. But again, will need to suss out how realistic it will be if I want to fly into other cities and back to KC.

Chicago would be a perfect side trip... only about an hour flight (IIRC), could potentially catch a game at Wrigley, options for skyscraper/observation decks, great museums and aquarium, great public transportation, and so on.

You can reach most major cities within a ~2.5 to 3 hour flight from KC though, so your options really aren't all that limited if you have a few days to kill.

I'd personally say no to the Ozarks unless you're planning on camping or love boating, but haven't really spent a ton of time there to say what else is there, either.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan

How quickly are single game tickets selling out these days and how many seats are reserved for season ticket holders? And how about lower deck tickets around the 50 selling out?

The ticket rep told me that tickets go on sale at 8.30am Friday KC time, which would be 11.30pm Friday my time. I'll aim to get a gameplan together on Friday to grab tix asap once they go on sale that night. Really really holding out for at least two home games in the first three weeks, assuming the season opener is a home game. Looking at the past few season it looks like its 50/50.

Make sure to hit up the board for tailgate spots. Everyone here would welcome you and make sure you had fun pregame.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Make sure to hit up the board for tailgate spots. Everyone here would welcome you and make sure you had fun pregame.

That's probably a euphemism for "bring lots of lube."

[George Liquor]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

Don't send visitors to Raytown SMH

Shieeet. He needs to check out Funky Town. Thats a can't miss experience.

[Megatron96]

If you go to a shooting range, try to pick one that lets you rent/shoot a automatic rifle. Nothing more fun than to blow $200 downrange in under a minute.

[wazu]

Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan

How quickly are single game tickets selling out these days and how many seats are reserved for season ticket holders? And how about lower deck tickets around the 50 selling out?

The ticket rep told me that tickets go on sale at 8.30am Friday KC time, which would be 11.30pm Friday my time. I'll aim to get a gameplan together on Friday to grab tix asap once they go on sale that night. Really really holding out for at least two home games in the first three weeks, assuming the season opener is a home game. Looking at the past few season it looks like its 50/50.

Okay - if you go all-in on this strategy and are able to land good tickets direct from the team that is great and more power to you. But don't think that is your only option. The market value of all seats will ultimately be decided on sites like Stubhub. If the team ticket office doesn't offer you what you want, there will be alternatives.

[wazu]

Sounds awesome. Are we talking front row or within a few rows of the first row in the lower deck?

Anywhere up close by the Chiefs sideline will be amazing.

[493rd]

Were you on NFL Sirius radio today?