A New Barn in Town, American Royal Celebrates Barn Raising

Posted November 28, 2023

Updated November 29, 2023

The American Royal celebrated a barn-raising ceremony for its new facility in Kansas City, KS that will act as a new beacon for education in food and agriculture.

The new home of the American Royal is located at 118th and State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas just Northwest of the Kansas Speedway. 

“The American Royal is constructing a purpose-built complex designed to attract visitors year-round to Kansas and Wyandotte County for food and agriculture events,” chair of the new building committee and secretary of the American Royal Board of Directors, Walt George said. “It all starts today with the barn, although it sounds so simple to just call it the barn.”

The economic impact will be just as big as the barn itself, and it will start with 4,900 impacted jobs. 

The new facility encompasses 390,000 square feet with three additional arenas for livestock and rodeo shows and a learning and engagement center. The facility is capable of housing 1,500 horses or nearly 4,000 head of cattle, according to American Royal.

“This campus will also further cement Kansas as the epicenter of agriculture for the entire country,” Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said. “Wyandotte County is the perfect fit for the American Royal and its rich 124-year history as a linchpin for American agriculture. Having this facility in the middle of the animal health corridor makes a lot of sense, this network is the single largest concentration of businesses working to improve animal health in the world.”

The American Royal expects to attract big crowds as this facility becomes the new epicenter for agricultural learning and entertainment. American Royal predicts to draw in 2 million visitors a year and create nearly $500 million of total economic impact for Kansas. 

American Royal expects to feature its first event in its new home in late 2025 or early 2026.

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