Classic Board Game Gets the Santa Barbara Treatment

Building an empire in Santa Barbara just got a little more affordable in time for the holidays. The launch of the new Monopoly Santa Barbara Edition was heralded on Tuesday with a meet and greet at the Lobero with none other than Mr. Monopoly himself. This brand-new edition of the classic rainy-day-favorite board game pays tribute to Santa Barbara with locally themed squares replacing the iconic Monopoly properties with custom pieces sourced from our fair city.

Among the lucky locals featured are the Lobero Theatre, Joe’s Café, Stearns Wharf, the Courthouse, Goodwin & Thyne Properties, the Mission, the Airport, Alice Keck Park, El Presidio, the Eagle Inn, Butterfly Beach, Goleta Butterfly Preserve, Santa Barbara Zoo, Wine Country, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Old Spanish Days Fiesta, Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, Visit Santa Barbara, Inspiration Point, Westmont College, Summer Solstice Parade, the Harbor, Lil’ Toot, Goleta Lemon Festival, Rusty’s Pizza, the Land Shark, Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Barbara Police Department, and the Santa Barbara Independent (which is one of the utilities). 

Monopoly first hit shelves in 1935 with the race car, thimble, boot, top hat, and battleship among the original set of tokens while the Scottie dog and wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s, with the current version also including a cat as one of the eight tokens. Although the brand has evolved a bit during its almost 90 years, the gameplay and iconography of the classic game have remained unchanged, making it a timeless classic. Today, Monopoly is the world’s favorite family game brand and is enjoyed by more than one billion players in 114 countries across the globe.

Stay tuned for info about additional appearances by Mr. Monopoly around town. The Monopoly Santa Barbara Edition can be purchased here.