Cambridge-themed Monopoly Hits Stores for Holidays

Monopoly Unveils First Ever ‘Small City’ U.S. Edition with the Launch of Cambridge Monopoly at the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel

By Marion McBride

CAMBRIDGE – Just in time for the holidays and the upcoming winter months of more social distancing, a Cambridge-themed version of the Monopoly board game that is made by Rhode Island-based Hasbro.

The locally themed board game is still played the same (where players try to dominate the landscape and pass Go!) but with Mount Auburn Cemetery, the first garden cemetery in the country); the American Repertory Theater (the Tony Award-winning company at Harvard University); and Graffiti Alley (in Central Square.) The local edition is produced through an arrangement with the educational card and board game company, Top Trumps USA.

At the game’s unveiling last month, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, along with an oversized representation of the board, revealed the local squares saying: “We are excited about Monopoly’s newest edition of the game showcasing my hometown – Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is for the people of Cambridge and a celebration of all we’ve been and our dreams to come.” While the press conference at the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel (also a square on the board) was scaled down to conform to Covid-19 protocols, Mr. Monopoly himself was there (played by local actor Kevin Fennessy.)

The official Cambridge Monopoly game is now available in stores including Magic Beans, Porter Square Books, and all local CVS locations. If you can’t support the local outlets, the game is for sale at online retailers such as Amazon and Target.

This edition can bring residents a new sense of their community and former residents back to Cambridge by exploring Cambridge’s beautiful, diverse, and rich history, all while playing this iconic game. And, since we are all spending more time at home in our “bubble” of family and friends, this can be a fun way to enjoy a variation of the board game.

But don’t fret, Cambridge edition of Monopoly includes the iconic game tokens – top hat, car, thimble, race car and Scottie dog – and color “property” sets are dedicated to representing everything that makes Cambridge vibrant. In this latest version, however, Boardwalk and Park Place, the famous residences from the original Monopoly, will be replaced by institutions such as Longfellow House, Lovin’ Spoonfuls, and Cambridge Health Alliance and the ‘Community Chest’ and ‘Chance’ playing cards have been customized to reflect local history.

Some quick facts about Monopoly: Since it first hit the shelves in 1935, the game has been played by more than 1 billion people. Today, a version of the game can be found in 114 countries and has been reworked into 50 different languages.