6 April 2023
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NFL Draft is starting to release details about how it plans to help control traffic and move hundreds of thousands of people around Kansas City’s downtown and Union Station areas.
One thing to keep in mind, beginning April 26, the streetcar stop at Union Station will be closed to all passengers. All other streetcar stops will be open and operating as normal.
Main Fan Entrance
The main entrance for fans going to the NFL Draft is located at the intersection of Wyandotte Street and Memorial Drive. The location is on the south side of the National WWI Museum and Memorial.
Park and Walk
There are a number of parking lot locations available throughout downtown and the River Market area. Fans have the option of parking in these lots and taking the free KC Streetcar.
There is also parking available in the Crossroads Arts District, Central Business District, Crown Center, Westport, and the Country Club Plaza.
An interactive map map of parking lots in the area can be found online at visitkc.com/2023-nfl-draft.
During the NFL Draft, traffic and pedestrians will not be able to access Main Street south of 20th Street. Pedestrians should use Grand Boulevard for Draft access.
Park and Ride
Fans who wish to utilize this free parking, and also be shuttled to Union Station, must preregister to ride the shuttle. Ticket registration can be made online at visitkc.com.
The shuttle will operate from the garage to Summit Street, where fans will be dropped off and picked up from the Draft at Entry 2.
This is the only park-and-ride option.
Fans can also park for free in Kansas City’s West Bottoms Garage near Hy-Vee Arena from Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29.
Street Parking
Street parking is also available.
Keep in mind that vehicles must park within the painted white lines if it is along the KC Streetcar Route.
Every portion of the vehicle, including side mirrors, must be inside the white lines.
Vehicles that are not parked inside the lines could be damaged, or towed.
KC Streetcar Schedule
To ease congestion, fans heading to the NFL Draft are asked to utilize the free KC Streetcar.
The free option will operate with the following extended hours during the event.
Thursday, April, 27
6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Friday, April 28
6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Saturday, April 29
7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
The streetcar stop at Union Station will be closed to all passengers beginning Wednesday, April 26.
The closest stop to Union Station is at 19th and Main in the Crossroads. Fans are asked to take the streetcar to that stop and then walk to Wyandotte Street and Memorial Drive to access the NFL Draft Experience.
Organizers say it’s about a 15-minute walk to Union Station from the Crossroads District.
RideKC Bus
Kansas City’s bus service is also free to ride at all times.
The MAX line is the city’s rapid transit line that runs through Downtown to the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station.
The MAX line will operate along Penn Valley Drive.
Fans should get off the bus at the 29th Street stop. From there it’s a 5-minute walk to Main Entry 1 to access the 2023 Draft.
Rideshare
Options like Uber and Lyft will also be running during the NFL Draft.
Simply enter “National WWI Museum and Memorial” as your destination. Your driver will drop you off at the designated rideshare drop-off zone. From there follow the signs to Main Entry 1.
Organizers say it’s about a 10-minute walk.
Accessibility Information
If you are in need of assistance entering the 2023 NFL Draft presented by Bud Light site, enter through Entry 3 on East Pershing Rd. outside of the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center.
For questions, reach out to a representative at the NFL Draft Mobility Assistance Program.
The Mobility Hotline is available by phone (888-745-1455) or by email at [email protected].
Additional maps and information will eventually be located in the NFL OnePass app.