Macombopoly Experience

Start your Macombopoly Tour in the heart of Macomb at the McDonough County Courthouse. Navigate your way around this historic centerpiece of Macomb as you play Macombopoly on this 4,000-foot real-life gameboard.

Download the Macombopoly app, powered by eATLAS, online here.

Four stainless steel Macombopoly statues stand tall in the corners of the Historic Macomb Courthouse Square.

This statue of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie celebrates the unwavering legacy of the woman who invented the most popular gameboard in the world: Monopoly.

The actress, writer, poet, pioneering feminist, and inventor was born in Macomb, on May 9th, 1866, the year after the Civil War ended and Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Her father, James K. Magie, was a newspaper publisher and an abolitionist who accompanied Lincoln as he traveled around Illinois in the late 1850s.

The second of four Monopoly-themed statues around the square is the Landlord's Game and Monopoly sculpture – an ode to Lizzie's original invention.

“The Landlord’s Game” which eventually became known as the game of “Monopoly”, was invented by Lizzie in 1903. She filed a legal claim for the game which, three decades later, became what we know as the Monopoly board game today.

The plat of the original board game and Monopoly is surprisingly similar to that of Macomb’s Downtown Square. In one corner were the Poor House and the public park and across the board was the jail.

The third Macombopoly sculpture tips its hat to Abraham Lincoln himself. The larger-than-life top hat represents the impact and legacy of Abe Lincoln in Macomb.

A friend of Lizzie Magie's father, James K. Magie, Abraham Lincoln made several stops in Macomb to speak to the public during his Presidential campaigning in 1858.

To learn more about Abe Lincoln's journey through Macomb, take the ten-site Looking For Lincoln Self-Guided Tour in and around town.

The fourth statue on the square lets you "Roll The Dice" with a spin of this interactive sculpture.

Spin these massive dice, just as you do in the real game of Monopoly. While you play Macombopoly, you'll have the chance to roll digital dice within the Macombopoly App as you make your way around town, completing all the stops.

While you're playing Macombopoly, keep your eyes peeled for several sights along the Looking for Lincoln Tour, like this stop at the Looking For Lincoln Wayside Exhibit near the McDonough Courthouse.

Before or after you play, you can take a step back in time on this self-guided tour to take a historic journey and experience Abraham Lincoln's local impact at 10 significant historic sites throughout Unforgettable Forgottonia, Macomb, and McDonough County.

Individual markers designate every one of the 10 Macomb Looking For Lincoln sites, which include specific QR codes that show a video of “Abe Lincoln” himself giving “first-hand” descriptions of the historical sites.

Take a photo from "Jail" in the Southwest Corner of the Square!

Head to Chick’s on the Square for lunch or a post-Macombopoly dinner. This local spot is loved for its savory chicken strips smothered in sauce. Their full bar with local beers and massive menu won't leave your hunger lingering for long.

Before or after your game of Macombopoly, swing into the Unforgettable Forgottonia Visitor Center to pick up some Macombopoly swag (t-shirt, socks, hats, and more) and learn more about what to see and do in and around Unforgettable Forgottonia.

The Visitor Center for the Macomb Area Convention & Visitor Bureau is located in the historic Macomb Train Depot, which welcomes two Amtrak train stops daily.

No Macombopoly experience is complete without some swag. Stop into the Community News & Market storefront right in downtown Macomb.

Here you can pick up your own physical Macombopoly gameboard, Macombopoly-themed gifts and trinkets, and learn more about the history of Macomb at this locally loved shop before hitting the road home.

You'll stop by this massive, living sculpture as you play Macombopoly – or you can swing by on your own time too!

The Living Lincoln Topiary Monument is a 16-foot high by 8-foot wide bust of Abe Lincoln with a living beard of foliage that changes throughout the season.

Learn more about Abraham Lincoln's local legacy in Macomb here.

Stop at Sullivan Taylor Coffee House for a coffee, pastry or sandwich before letting the game begin! This local cafe serves up fresh-brewed drinks, homemade baked goods, and a variety of fresh eats – perfect for fueling up for a game of Macombopoly.