Kemper Arena 1800 Genessee Kansas City, Missouri 64102 (816) 513-5000 (800) 821-7060

Capacity: 18,046 (soccer and hockey-full arena); 18,646 (basketball); 19,546 (concerts)
Suites: 24; 2 for TV/Radio Broadcasts; 4 for Handicapped
Restaurant/Lounge: Replay's
Floor Space: 18,046 square feet; 30,000 square feet with seats retracted
Current Tenants: American Royal Rodeo and Livestock Show
Former Tenants: Kansas City Brigade, Kansas City Comets (MISL), Kansas City Outlaws (UHL), Kansas City Blades (IHL), Kansas City Red Wings (CHL), Kansas City Blues (CHL), Kansas City Scouts (NHL), Kansas City Kings (NBA), Kansas City Attack (NPSL), Kansas City Explorers (WTT), Big 8/Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament, Kansas City Knights (ABA)

Kansas City was awarded an NHL franchise in 1972. The team was to begin play in 1974, but there wasn't a facility in Kansas City to house an NHL hockey team.

Taxpayers in Johnson County, Kansas voted against building a new arena. The area that had been proposed was 111th Street between Antioch and Switzer roads.

So, with citizens across the state line against paying for a new arena, R. Crosby Kemper stepped in with millions of dollars to build a new arena in Kansas City, Missouri. He designated the stockyards for a new state of the art arena. The arena would be named after him because of his generosity.

Kemper Arena has come a long ways. After only standing for nearly five years, the arena suffered damage during a major thunderstorm. On June 4, 1979, the same night that the arena's designer was in town accepting an award for the design, the roof of Kemper Arena collapsed. Fortunately, the arena was empty. Two days prior to the catastrophe 13,500 people were there attending a Truck Pull.

Kemper Arena has been home to every hockey team since the Scouts christened it in 1974. Those teams include the Scouts, KC Blues, KC Red Wings, Blades, and Outlaws. The Kansas City Blades had the longest tenure of any of the teams, having played at Kemper for 11 years.
 

Last updated June 25, 2005