MACOMB MARKS MONOPOLY INVENTOR'S BIRTHDAY WITH NEW SCULPTURE AND SEASONAL OPENING OF MACOMBOPOLY

Mr. Monopoly Joins the Larger than Life Size Downtown Game on May 9: the 160th Birthday of Lizzie Magie, Macomb's inventor of the World's Best-Known Board Game

MACOMB, IL, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- May 9 is not just another spring day in Macomb, Illinois. It is the birthday of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie-Phillips, the Macomb-born inventor whose 1903 game design became Monopoly. This year, the city is marking the occasion with the public unveiling of a new Uncle Pennybags © Hasbro sculpture in the heart of downtown and the official seasonal opening of Macombopoly, larger than life-size, app-powered, interactive board game experience played across the real streets and storefronts of the historic Courthouse Square.

The new Uncle Pennybags aka Mr. Monopoly sculpture gives players and visitors a permanent gathering point at the center of the experience, joining five existing Macombopoly sculptures already standing on the square: a statue of Lizzie Magie herself, a pair of gigantic spinning dice, the life size Jail, a huge illuminated hybrid Landlord's Game / Monopoly tribute, and a larger-than-life Lincoln top hat honoring Abraham Lincoln, a recurring presence in Macomb during his 1858 campaign who had a personal connection of the Magie family.

Macombopoly launched as a way to put Lizzie's story where it belongs: in the middle of the city where she was born. Players download the Macombopoly app, powered by eATLAS, and navigate a 4,000-square-foot real-world game board set around the McDonough County Courthouse, completing stops, collecting properties, and exploring downtown on foot. Since opening, thousands of players have made the trip to Macomb for the experience. The game holds a 4.9-star rating and has been recognized as one of Illinois's top tourism attractions.

"Macombopoly started as a way to bring people into downtown and connect them to Lizzie Magie's legacy," said Jock Hedblade, Executive Director of Visit Unforgettable Forgottonia. "The thousands of people who've played it are proof that when you give visitors something truly fun, genuinely local and wholly unique, they show up. The sculpture is the next chapter, a permanent piece of that story."

The May 9 celebration lands during a moment of wider attention for the region. A 30-minute prime-time television special takes viewers inside Macombopoly and the broader Forgottonia region. It airs on WYZZ (FOX) on Friday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m., with a second airing on WMBD (CBS) on Saturday, May 2, at 11 a.m.

The entire Macombopoly experience, including the interactive tour map, stop-by-stop guide, and app download link, is available at the Macombopoly Tour Map.


About Macombopoly
Macombopoly is a world's largest, app-powered Monopoly experience played on the downtown square of Macomb, Illinois. Set on the historic Courthouse Square, the 170,000 square foot experience pays tribute to Lizzie Magie, the Macomb-born inventor who created The Landlord's Game in 1903, the direct predecessor to the Monopoly board game. The game is powered by eATLAS and free to play. More at visitforgottonia.com.

About Visit Unforgettable Forgottonia
Visit Unforgettable Forgottonia is the destination marketing organization for McDonough County and the surrounding region of west-central Illinois, promoting the area's history, attractions, and experiences to visitors from across the state and beyond. More at visitforgottonia.com.

Jock Hedblade
Visit Unforgettable Forgottonia
+1 309-833-1315
email us here

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