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By Ryan Krenzke, Curator of History, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
We’ve all been there. A roll of the dice has landed you on Boardwalk and you stare at the fearsome line of red hotels your Grandma owns. One more space and you would've been safe on Go and received a nice new wad of multi-colored bills as a payday. Instead, you hand what’s left of your cash to your smiling Grandma, declare bankruptcy, and head to bed.
One thing that makes good toys great is their ability to span generations and Monopoly has been doing just that since 1933. The roots of the game stretch back to the early 1900s and was created, ironically, by people concerned with real-world economic monopolies. They wanted to create a tool that would teach its users the dangers of economic power controlled by a small number of people. The popularity of the game exploded and has led to a huge variety of game boards of almost every interest. Some of the boards we have in our collection include Indiana University, a classic edition, and, of course, Dog-opoly.
In 2006, the game board received a major update. The Here and Now series brought this 20th century classic into the present day with new cash amounts, game board spaces, and player tokens. The wheelbarrow and thimble have been replaced by a laptop and coffee mug, and now you can own properties like the White House and Las Vegas. After a recent fan vote, the newest edition, MONOPOLY Here & Now: U.S. Edition, will feature our own Indianapolis as one of its spaces!
Back in 2012, we embarked on a project that would showcase the toys that everyone knew, loved, and remembered from growing up, asking the public to vote and share stories about their top 20 toys that define childhood. Over the course of the project, we received an overwhelming response from around the state, nation and even the world. The 100 Toys that Define Our Childhood was a smash hit! It should come as no surprise that Monopoly was among our Top 20 Toys, as voted on by fans near and far. You can read a number of fan-submitted memories of Monopoly on The Children's Museum's blog.
Spanning nine decades, 103 countries, and 37 languages, few board games are as easily recognizable, long-lasting, or enjoyed by so many people across the U.S. and the world as Monopoly. Where else can you find good-natured fun striving for the financial ruin of your family and friends while playing as an old boot?
Look for the new MONOPOLY Here & Now: U.S. Edition in The Children's Museum Store this fall!
Monopoly Here and Now image courtesy of Hasbro.
