This week's spotlight features the group of departments that offer tours at Arrowhead Stadium. This stadium is more than just a place where we gather on Sundays, it's the home of the Chiefs; it holds history and rich traditions. Arrowhead Stadium is a place of pride for Kansas City and this week's spotlight shows you how to get a behind-the-scenes look.
There are many options when choosing a tour at Arrowhead, including the Self-Guided Tour, public or private Guided Tour, the Game Day Tour and the tour through the Sports Lab powered by Blue KC.
"Stadium tours give fans the opportunity to make Arrowhead Stadium a year-round destination and experience it behind-the-scenes," Ashley Muffitt, Ticket Sales Coordinator, noted. "Super fans can take a Game Day Tour, or school groups can take a tour through the Sports Lab powered by Blue KC or there are the Self-Guided tours. The demand for stadium tours continues to grow; it's an incredible experience."
Following the stadium upgrades in 2010, the Hunt family wanted to give fans access to the incredible renovations. They wanted to make sure fans could see the Hall of Honor on game days and also wanted it to be part of the stadium tours.
During the tours, the Hunt family wanted to include a visit to the Scout Investments Club Level, press level, playing field and locker room. As popularity grew, other tour routes were added including the new Self-Guided Tour.
The Self-Guided tours are offered on Saturdays, with access to the newly-renovated Chiefs locker room, the Hall of Honor presented by Time Warner Cable, along with a chance to step on the sidelines of the field and toss around a game-used football.
"With the Self-Guided Tours, you can take your time wandering through the stadium," Travis Baker, Chiefs Event Services Manager, explained. "You are able to walk along the sidelines of the field, take a look at the Chiefs locker rooms and more. This tour gives you access like never before and is for the ultimate Chiefs fan."
There is also the Game Day Tour, which is not offered by any other stadium and includes the Broadcast Lounge, a visit to the production booth on the Press Level, the Scout Investments Club Level, plus time on the sideline during pre-game. At the end of the tour, fans receive a team roster card, Chiefs Yearbook and a Chiefs Pro Shop coupon.
"I've been on stadium tours in the past, but this got me into some areas I had never seen before," Alan Kastler, Chiefs Season Ticket Holder, said. "It was a neat experience to go to places other people don't get to go to on a regular basis. I would definitely recommend it to anybody, even if they've toured the stadium before; this would be worth it, because you're going to see some areas and go behind-the-scenes."
For students, first through sixth grade, there are also tours through the Sports Lab powered by Blue KC. The Sports Lab is an interactive area with several hands-on exhibits that teach the principles of the NFL Play 60 initiative in a fun and engaging manner.
These tours are unique because they cater towards a young audience; they cover topics such as the health and safety of the players, sound waves in the stadium and career opportunities in professional sports or marketing and sponsorship.
"Our tours typically hit three main locations, including the locker room, the field, and the Hall of Honor presented by Time Warner Cable," Andrew Smitka, Sports Lab Coordinator, commented. "The tour accomplishes the kids' Play 60 activity for the day, since we walk about 3/4 of a mile around the stadium, for over an hour. We cover a lot of Chiefs history, including Lamar Hunt's start of the AFL and the Dallas Texans. We also discuss Arrowhead Stadium renovations and how Chiefs players interact within the community. There's usually a lot of Chiefs trivia and fun facts we cover with the students as well."
Throughout the week, the Sports Lab will host two or three school groups per day, with anywhere from 50 – 125 students per group.
If you are interested in any of these tours, click here for more info.
