David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium

The Booth is at 1101 Mississippi Street on the northern edge of the University of Kansas campus. Downtown Lawrence lies less than a mile east, while I-70 runs north of town and US 59/Iowa Street approaches from the south. The stadium sits on a steep hillside amid residential streets, and Phase II construction occupies much of its east side. A prepaid space, downtown shuttle or long walk is more dependable than circling the neighborhood.

Driving & Parking

• From Kansas City
  Take I-70 west to the East Lawrence exit or approach on K-10, then follow event signs. The last mile through downtown or 23rd Street backs up quickly.
• From Topeka or the west
  I-70 east provides the simplest route. Choose the assigned stadium approach before entering Lawrence because cross-campus shortcuts close on game day.
• Permit lots
  Most spaces beside the stadium are tied to Williams Education Fund permits. Download the mobile pass and use its assigned entrance; construction can change access from one game to the next.
• 2026 surface lot
  A new lot at 11th and Missouri Streets is scheduled to serve the construction-season plan. Its inventory and entry route are shown on the current football parking map.
• Downtown parking
  Lawrence garages and public spaces offer the best visitor alternative. Check posted fees and restrictions, then use the football shuttle or walk uphill via the campus approach.
• Campus remote parking
  Lots around Allen Fieldhouse and central campus have supported game-day shuttles and walking routes. Availability varies by event, so do not assume a basketball parking routine applies.
• Accessible parking
  Limited ADA spaces require a valid placard or plate and may be assigned by permit or sold first-come. Contact Kansas Athletics before game week for the current construction route and drop-off point.
• Postgame traffic
  Police establish one-way flows around Mississippi, 11th and adjacent streets. Accept the directed route even when it initially moves away from I-70.

Public Transit

• Downtown football shuttle
  Lawrence Transit has provided direct game service from downtown parking areas to the stadium district. The 2026 stop and operating window should be confirmed in the weekly fan guide.
• Downtown stops
  Recent service has used locations near the garages around Sixth and New Hampshire and the Vermont Street corridor. Arrive early because the final pregame buses are crowded.
• Campus service
  KU and Lawrence Transit routes connect downtown, central campus and surrounding neighborhoods, though normal stops may be relocated by road closures.
• Walking from Massachusetts Street
  The stadium is roughly a 20-minute walk from the heart of downtown, but the route climbs Mount Oread. Comfortable shoes are not optional.

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft)

• Pregame drop-off
  Memorial Drive near the top of the Hill has served as KU’s preferred drop point, keeping cars outside the stadium’s tightest perimeter.
• Postgame pickup
  The established pickup area is east of the stadium along Indiana Street near the HERE apartment complex, beyond the main traffic pattern.
• Construction check
  Phase II may shift either location. Use the current map rather than dropping a pin at 1101 Mississippi Street.
• Downtown alternative
  Set a Massachusetts Street meeting point and walk. Drivers can reach downtown more easily, and the wait passes quickly among restaurants and shops.

Kansas game day bridges downtown and the Campanile hillside. The rebuilt stadium has introduced Gameday Boulevard along 11th Street, while Tailgates on the Hill preserve the classic scene below the tower. Exact opening and Hawk Walk times follow kickoff, but a good working plan is to reach the district three hours early and be at the top of the Hill before the team arrives.

Tailgating

• Gameday Boulevard
  The public festival stretches along 11th Street between Maine and Illinois, bringing food, beverages, music and sponsor activities to the stadium’s north and east approaches.
• Tailgates on the Hill
  Reserved turnkey packages occupy the iconic Campanile slope south of the stadium. REVELxp supplies tents, furniture and optional catering for groups that book ahead.
• Hawk Walk
  The Jayhawks arrive near the Campanile and descend the Hill about two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff. Line the route early; the crest provides the best first view.
• Marching Jayhawks concert
  The band traditionally performs on the Hill about an hour before kickoff, then moves toward the stadium. It is the day’s best free tradition for visitors.
• Permit-lot tailgates
  Donor lots around Mississippi and the football complex open on the schedule published for each game. Keep tents, grills and games within the assigned footprint.
• Construction etiquette
  Fences and haul routes are not shortcuts. Follow temporary pedestrian signs, and expect the path used for one home game to change before the next.
• Weather on Mount Oread
  The hill catches wind, sun and fast-moving storms. Secure canopies, carry layers and switch from umbrellas to rain gear before entering.

Pregame Bars & Restaurants

• Free State Brewing Company
  Kansas’s pioneering brewpub anchors Massachusetts Street with house beer, burgers, fish and chips and hearty specials. Expect a long wait on football weekends.
• Johnny’s Tavern
  The original North Lawrence location opened in 1953 and remains a Jayhawk institution. Pizza, sandwiches and televisions make it ideal Friday night or very early Saturday.
• The Wheel
  This compact campus bar on 14th Street is a student and alumni rite of passage known for burgers, pizza and crowded game-day energy.
• Jefferson’s
  The Massachusetts Street sports bar specializes in wings, burgers and walls of signed currency. Its central location works well before a downtown shuttle.
• Bigg’s BBQ
  The Iowa Street restaurant serves brisket, ribs, sausage and other regional staples and also appears in The Booth’s concessions lineup.
• Ladybird Diner
  This downtown diner is prized for breakfast, pie and comfort food. Arrive early; its small room fills quickly even on ordinary weekends.
• Limestone Pizza + Kitchen Bar
  Wood-fired pizza and local ingredients offer a more polished downtown meal, best saved for Friday evening or a late kickoff.

• Hawk Walk
  Players descend from near the Campanile through a corridor of fans. The Hill’s elevation creates a dramatic arrival unlike a standard parking-lot walk.
• Marching Jayhawks
  The band’s concert on the Hill and move into the bowl connect the outdoor festival to the stadium pregame. In 2026 it performs from the new temporary south grandstand.
• Rock Chalk Chant
  The slow “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU” cadence dates to the 1880s and finishes with three sharper repetitions. It is most powerful after a victory.
• Wave the Wheat
  After Kansas scores, fans raise their arms and sway from side to side like wheat in a Kansas wind while the band plays. Follow the student section’s tempo.
• “I’m a Jayhawk”
  George “Dumpy” Bowles wrote the fight song in 1912. The repeated “Jay, Jay, Jay” chorus is the portion every first-time visitor can join.
• Big Jay and Baby Jay
  The smiling Jayhawk mascots represent a mythical combination of blue jay and sparrow hawk. Baby Jay famously hatched from an egg at a 1971 home game.
• Crimson and blue
  KU’s colors combine influences from Harvard and Yale and became official in 1896. Check the week’s color theme before packing.
• Pregame flag raising
  Kansas honors a football alumnus or special guest shortly before kickoff, placing program history into the final moments before the team enters.

• World War I memorial
  Kansas dedicated the stadium to university community members who died in the war. The rebuilt venue includes a memorial display that makes the original purpose explicit.
• Campanile and the Hill
  The 1950 memorial tower rises south of the open end, creating one of the Big 12’s most recognizable approaches and linking two campus memorials.
• Wheat-inspired lights
  Tall, branching light structures introduced in 2025 echo heads of Kansas wheat and give the rebuilt stadium a distinctive nighttime silhouette.
• K Flag seating pattern
  Crimson, blue, white and gray seats form an abstract “K” and flag motif across the bowl, adding visual identity even before the crowd arrives.
• KU Conference Center
  The 55,000-square-foot event facility integrates with the north side, allowing the Gateway District to function beyond seven football Saturdays.
• Anderson Family Football Complex
  The renovated team facility connects directly to the west and north rebuild, combining locker, recruiting, dining and performance areas.
• Old horseshoe geography
  Although most concrete is new, the bowl retains its historic Mount Oread footprint and southward relationship to the Campanile.

History & Notable Moments

• First game (1921)
  Kansas defeated Kansas State 21–7 before 5,160 in the partially completed stadium after students and faculty helped clear the site.
• Formal dedication (1922)
  The university dedicated Memorial Stadium on Armistice Day before a game against Nebraska.
• Kansas Relays debut (1923)
  The inaugural meet began a nationally prominent track tradition that remained at the stadium until the track was removed.
• Nebraska rout (2007)
  Kansas beat Nebraska 76–39 during the Jayhawks’ 12-win Orange Bowl season, one of the loudest offensive exhibitions in venue history.
• College GameDay (2022)
  ESPN’s football show made its first trip to Lawrence for the ranked matchup with TCU, reflecting the program’s revival.
• No. 6 Oklahoma upset (2023)
  Kansas won 38–33 to secure a second straight bowl berth and give the old east and west stands a final classic.
• Reimagined opening (2025)
  A sellout crowd of 41,525 watched Kansas defeat Fresno State 31–7 in the first game after the Phase I reconstruction.
• Phase II season (2026)
  A partially completed east lower bowl and temporary south grandstand keep football in Lawrence while construction advances toward full capacity in 2027.

The Booth runs north–south, with the rebuilt west sideline and north end forming the permanent core in 2026. The east side is a construction-season lower-bowl configuration, while temporary student and band seating occupies the south. Ticket maps—not memories from 2025—control every entrance and section assignment this year.

• West sideline
  The rebuilt home side offers seatbacks, more legroom, wider aisles and the most complete set of amenities. Afternoon shade reaches portions of this side first.
• North end
  New seating wraps around the videoboard and conference-center side, producing a steep, close view of goal-line action and easy access to north concourses.
• 2026 east lower bowl
  The partially completed side provides general seating but operates beside active Phase II work. Expect temporary entrances, support facilities and reduced inventory.
• South grandstand
  Students and the Marching Jayhawks move into a new temporary structure for 2026, restoring energy to the Campanile end while the east build continues.
• 1921 Field Club
  Premium field-level seating pairs proximity to the action with an indoor club, one of the showcase products of the west-side reconstruction.
• Jayhawk Club, suites and loges
  The west and north premium levels add chairbacks, climate-controlled hospitality and private service. Use the entrance printed for the product.
• The Patio and Jayhawk Landing
  Social premium areas near the south end favor mingling, food and field access over a traditional fixed-seat experience.
• Accessible seating
  New elevators, platforms and wider circulation improve access in completed areas. Construction makes advance coordination with the ticket office especially important in 2026.

The Booth is cashless and now emphasizes Lawrence and Kansas City partners. Gates generally open 90 minutes before kickoff, creating time to explore before lines peak. Alcohol is available to eligible guests and sales end at the close of the third quarter; current re-entry windows and scan-out gates should be checked in the weekly guide.

• Johnny’s Tavern
  Main-concourse items and Wilson’s sauce bring a familiar Lawrence sports-bar name inside; additional offerings appear in The Patio.
• Bigg’s BBQ
  Brisket, pork, sausage and other smoked options give the general concourse a genuine local barbecue choice.
• Jack Stack BBQ
  Kansas City’s celebrated brand serves Jayhawk Landing and premium spaces, with its sauces used more broadly through the stadium.
• Tiki Taco
  Tacos, burritos, bowls and nachos add a flexible handheld option for groups wanting something beyond burgers and hot dogs.
• Princeton Popcorn and Serendipity
  Kansas-grown mushroom-style popcorn and premium ice cream cover the sweet and snack side of the menu.
• Chick-fil-A
  The national chicken-sandwich stand is useful for speed but does not operate for Sunday events.
• Uplift Coffee
  Lawrence coffee, cold brew and related drinks are especially welcome for early kickoffs and cold late-season games.
• Boulevard and other beverages
  Kansas City-based Boulevard joins Anheuser-Busch, Modelo, Surfside, Jim Beam and Pepsi products. Identification and purchase limits apply.

• One clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches is permitted per ticket holder. A one-gallon clear freezer bag is also accepted.
• A small non-clear clutch may be no larger than 5.5 by 8.5 inches under the current athletics prohibited-items guidance, with or without a handle or strap.
• Medically necessary items are exceptions after inspection and tagging by a supervisor. Standard backpacks, diaper bags, fanny packs and tinted bags are prohibited.
• Kansas has allowed one unopened plastic water bottle up to 20 ounces and, in some current venue guidance, one empty plastic refillable bottle up to 32 ounces. Confirm the football-specific 2026 notice before arrival.
• Food, alcohol, cans, metal bottles, coolers, umbrellas, strollers, chairbacks and artificial noisemakers are prohibited. Blankets may be carried over an arm for inspection.
• Walk-through metal detectors operate at the gates. Use a no-bag express lane when possible and have the mobile ticket saved before reaching the Hill.
• Gates typically open 90 minutes before kickoff. Construction and reduced capacity make an arrival at least one hour early prudent for the 2026 season.
• Re-entry has historically required an electronic scan-out and has been limited to designated gates and times. Verify the current game’s procedure before leaving the stadium.