American Royal officially opens long-awaited Exhibition Hall and barns at new Wyandotte County location

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.

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The American Royal officially welcomed guests Thursday to its new Wyandotte County location for a barn warming.

The organization debuted the first part of the new $375 million facility — a new American Royal Barns & Exhibition Hall. This is the first time the American Royal has owned its own facility.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

The organization is still in Kansas City, Missouri's West Bottoms neighborhood, their home for 127 years.

It’s been a long-awaited journey for this project to open after construction delays due to funding woes.

A portion of the project — $155 million — is paid for by STAR bonds.

The program Thursday included a grand opening and ribbon cutting featuring the first horse entering the new 390,000 square-foot Barns & Exhibition Hall.

“The first meeting I attended on a new American Royal was in 2014, so this has been a long time coming, and there have been lots of places where people have been like, ‘Is this really going to happen,’” said Jackie McClaskey, president of the American Royal Association. “But you just gotta have faith and you gotta know that you gotta get it done. And that’s exactly what this team has done, and we couldn’t be more pleased that we’re opening the barns today.”

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

KSHB 41's Wyandotte County reporter Rachel Henderson took a tour of the space in August.

The new faclity included an installation of a giant horseshoe over an entrance to the barns to symbolize the American Royal’s new home.

There also were brief remarks from American Royal leadership, guided tours of the completed facility and all five gable sections.

"It's a celebration of tradition, community and an exciting future that is ahead,"Unified Government Mayor Christal Watson said. "Wyandotte County is proud to be the future home of this treasured institution."

During the program, the first horse entered the new barns.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

After the Sept. 10 invite-only debut, they're hosting a series of events:

• Sept. 12-13: Royal Showcase Horse Show
• Sept. 18-21: Cutting Horse Show
• Sept. 30-Oct. 4: World Series of Barbecue
• Oct. 9-25: American Royal Fall Livestock Show

Future plans for the area include two indoor arenas and a two-story Learning & Engagement Center for exploring food, agriculture and American Royal history.

Additional construction is expected to be completed in late 2028.

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