History & Photos
The City of Kansas City built the original American Royal Arena in 1922 for about $650,000. Ground was broken in 1991 at the same site for the new building at an estimated $33.4 million. The new American Royal building was completed in 1992.
Kemper Arena was completed in 1974 at a cost of $22 million and is owned by the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Most recently in 1997, a $23 million expansion project added 2,000 more seats, upgraded the lower level seating, added four restrooms, a handicap entrance to the arena floor, an elevator and the new east lobby.
The American Royal Association has an office located in the building along with the American Royal Museum. The American Royal Association is home to the American Royal Horse Show, Livestock Show, and Rodeo and celebrates its 100th year in 1999. The American Royal also hosts the world’s largest barbecue contest the first weekend of each October.
The arena has hosted 1983, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1997 NCAA Regional, the NAIA Tournament from 1975 - 1993, the Big VIII Basketball Tournament from 1979 to 1996, The Big XII Basketball Tournament from 1997 to 2002, the 1988 Men’s Final Four and the 1998 Women’s Final Four.
The Kansas City Blades, International Hockey League (IHL) called Kemper Arena home from 1990 through 2001.
Kemper Arena has been home to the Kansas City Attack, National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), since 1992. In 2001, the league disbanded and reorganized as the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and the team was renamed the Kansas City Comets.
The Kansas City Knights, American Basketball Association (ABA) stepped onto the court at Kemper Arena for the first time in the 2000 - 2001 season.
The American Royal Complex consists of two structures: Kemper Arena and American Royal Building.
Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena holds 18,344 for concerts, 17,647 for hockey and 17,585 for soccer games. Kemper Arena is home to the Kansas City Comets, members of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Other events held in Kemper Arena include the NCAA Regional Tournament, the Big 12 Basketball Tournament, family shows, concerts and the annual American Royal.
Kemper Arena was built in 1974 at a cost of nearly $23 million dollars. Financing came from seven sources. 1) $5.6 million dollars from general obligation bonds approved in 1954, 2) $3.2 million dollars donated by R. Crosby Kemper Sr., 3) $575,000 dollars from bond interest, 4) $1.5 million dollars donated by the American Royal Association, 5) land provided by the Stockyards Company, 6) $10 million dollars from revenue bonds in conjunction with the Jackson County Sports Authority and 7) $2 million dollars in federal grants for street work.
American Royal Center
American Royal Center consists of Hale Arena, Governors’ Exposition Building, Lower & Upper Level Exposition Halls and Wagstaff Theatre. The facilities contain over 300,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. The multi-purpose facility hosts a variety of heavy equipment trade shows and industrial exhibit shows. Hale Arena seats 5,000 with 29,400 sq. ft. of floor space. The American Royal Association hosts the American Royal Horse Show, Livestock Show, and Rodeo as it has for over 100 years. The World’s Largest Barbecue Contest is also hosted annually by the American Royal Association.
American Royal Association revenue sources totaled almost half of the cost to build an arena. Kansas City needed an arena for the NBA Kings and the NHL Scouts. The American Royal Association needed the facility to be built next to the American Royal Building in the West Bottoms to support the American Royal Rodeo. Kansas City could not finance an arena on it’s own, so a partnership was developed between the American Royal Association and Kansas City to develop an arena (Kemper Arena) in the West Bottoms.