THE OPENER
The first weekend of summer baseball — already a tradition.
Memorial Day Classic opens the Ballparks summer every year. Four days of baseball on the MLB Replica fields — Friday-night Home Run Derby, Skills Competitions Friday afternoon, two umpires every game and four for semis and finals. The fields are two-thirds-scale tributes to Busch, Wrigley, Fenway, Kauffman, and Ebbets, and they play like the real thing.
Teams arrive Friday and find custom hats and team-designed jerseys already hanging in pro-style lockers with player nameplates. Opening Ceremonies Friday night. Mid-week Family Feast. And then there's Ballparks After Dark — the lights stay on at every field until midnight, with Blitzball personalities, Wiffleball, Glow Mini Golf, and Player Trading Cards trading hands on the campus. The nights are where the memories happen.
The off-day Sunday afternoon and all of Memorial Day morning are wide open for Branson — Silver Dollar City, Table Rock Lake watersports, trout on Lake Taneycomo, Big Cedar and Thousand Hills golf. Every registered player receives a 5-day pass to White Water in the swag bag; discount tickets to SDC are in the same packet.
Players sleep in air-conditioned team suites on campus — 18 beds, 14 lockers, private showers, flat-screens — alongside their teammates and coaches. Families have the brand-new Element Hotel right next door, or any of the Thousand Hills Vacations rentals — cabins next to campus, lake homes, golf-course houses — all bookable in one place through EventConnect. 2027 dates open soon — join the interest list below to be the first to know.
Divisions & Pricing
11U · $475–$675 / player
Early bird ends Sep 1
12U · $475–$675 / player
Early bird ends Sep 1
13U · $475–$675 / player
Early bird ends Sep 1
14U · $475–$675 / player
Plays HS/college at Sho-Me
Coach fee: $250–$350 per coach (2–4 coaches per team). Deposit $500 (early bird) or $1,000 (Stage 1+).
WHAT'S INCLUDED
One fee. The full Ballparks week.
4-day tournament with a 4-game guarantee (up to 7 with bracket play)
Accommodations in air-conditioned Team Suites for all players and coaches
Custom jersey and hat for each registered player and coach (your team name + BoA logo)
Individualized name plate for locker in dorms (player keepsake)
Home Run Derby on Friday night
Family Feast dinner ticket for paid participants on HR Derby Friday
Flat-screen TV, pro-style lockers, private showers in suite
Breakfast, lunch and dinner served on-site during play days (Sat–Mon)
All games on state-of-the-art MLB-replica fields with synthetic turf (14U also plays on Sho-Me HS/college fields)
Late-night Blitzball, Wiffleball and lights-on activities at Ballparks
Player gifts (swag bag) and coach gifts
Free on-site laundry facility
All games live video streamed with audio
FORMAT & SCHEDULE
Four days. Up to seven games.
FORMAT
4-day, 4-game guarantee
Friday check-in & Home Run Derby. Saturday–Sunday pool play. Monday single elimination + championship.
GAME LENGTH
1h 40m / 1h 45m
Pool play games run 1h 40m. Bracket games 1h 45m. Championship is untimed. Two umpires per game; up to four for semis and finals.
Roster minimum: 13 participants per team (players + coaches). Suites hold 18 beds and 14 lockers — plenty of room for a full roster and 4-coach staff.
STAY · EAT · PLAY
One campus. Everything they need.
Players sleep, eat, train, compete and unwind without leaving the property.
Where the team sleeps
Air-conditioned Team Suites with pro-style lockers, flat-screen TVs and private showers. 18 beds, 14 lockers per suite.
Three meals a day, on campus
Bullpen concessions, Double Play Cafe, Grounders coffee, Sweet Spot ice cream, plus the weekly Clubhouse menu.
Game's over. Fun begins.
Laser tag, two escape rooms, On-Deck Arcade and Upper Deck batting cages with Fungoman pitching machines.
“Ballparks of America is the experience every young player dreams about. They walk in as kids and walk out feeling like big-leaguers.”
Mike Sweeney · 5× MLB All-Star · KC Hall of Fame
"Best week of baseball our team has had. The kids didn't want to leave."
Coach · 12U Team · Memorial Day Classic 2025
"The custom jerseys, the lockers with their names — my son was a pro for a week."
Parent · 11U · Memorial Day Classic 2025
"Five-game guarantee plus bracket play. We got seven. The Branson off-day with the family was the cherry on top."
Coach · 13U · Memorial Day Classic 2025
48 TEAMS PLAYED MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC IN 2025
ADD TO YOUR REGISTRATION
Round out the week.
Pre-purchase via EventConnect during registration. Curated highlights — full menu of 30+ items in your team dashboard.
$14.99 / ADULT
Family Feast Tickets
Friday-night Home Run Derby fajita bar. Players and one paid participant included; extra adult tickets here.
$39.99–$109.99
Linens Packages
Skip the bedding pack. Minor / Major / All-Star tiers — sheets, pillow, towels, BoA blanket to take home.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Pro Action Photos
Game-day action shots, team panoramics, custom posters. Decorate-the-park banners optional.
$29.99
Official Tournament Shirt
Performance dri-fit. BoA logo front, tournament logo + participating teams on back.
$19.99 / PERSON
Operation Laser Tag
Military-themed live-action arena. 30 minutes, group rates available with tournament code.
$25.99 / PERSON
Puzzle Parlour Escape Rooms
Two themed rooms — Bigfoot and Scorpio. 60-minute escapes for up to 18 players.
BRANSON · OFF-DAY
Silver Dollar City Discount
Discount coupons to Branson's flagship attraction included with every team's swag bag.
$54.99
Bucket of 36 Baseballs
Skip travelling with warm-up balls. Bucket waiting in your suite at check-in.
PAYMENT & POLICIES
Transparent pricing. Predictable schedule.
Payment schedule
$500 deposit due at registration (before 8/31) — $1,000 on or after 9/1
$3,000 due November 30
$3,000 due January 31
Balance due April 1
Teams registering after 11/30 or 1/31 have 30 days from registration to catch up
Refunds & lodging policy
Deposit refundable until 10/1. Non-refundable after.
Family lodging must be booked through BPoA's lodging partner OR pay $800 lodging-opt-out fee per team.
2027 lodging information released in fall 2026 — book early via HousingConnect.
Add-on refunds: full refund up to 48 hours before tournament; none within 48 hours.
FAQ
Memorial Day Classic — common questions
- What's the roster minimum?
- Where do 14U teams play?
- What's included in the tournament fee?
- Can families stay on campus?
- How long are games?
- When is the schedule posted?
- What if we register late?
Still deciding? Email info@ballparksofamerica.com or call (417) 464-6333. Or — get the Info Pack below and we'll send the full one-pager to your inbox.
Get the 2027 Memorial Day Classic Info Pack.
Format, dates, what's included, packing list, FAQ. One PDF, sent immediately. No spam.