Mr. Monopoly himself was on hand Wednesday evening at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo to celebrate the launch of the Fresno Monopoloy game. Photo by Dylan Gonzales

The Fresno edition of the world-famous board game Monopoly was officially unveiled Wednesday night at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. 

Iconic Fresno locations and businesses including the Forestiere Underground Gardens, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Saroyan Theatre, EECU, Bonadelle Neighborhoods, The Iron Office Gym and Fresno State are some of the real estate offerings that players could “buy” in the game.  

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, Councilmember Miguel Arias and Jennifer Tripsea, a sales executive for Top Trumps — the company that makes the Hasbro-licensed, city-centric board games —  joined the Mr. Monopoly mascot himself as they spoke about why Fresno getting an official Monopoly game is a big deal.

“Fresno loves Fresno,” Tripsea said when asked about why Fresno was selected to get its own board game. “I specifically chose Fresno because growing up, I would come to the (Fresno Chaffee Zoo).”

 “Not only is Fresno rich in history, culture and community pride, it’s also a place where local business landmarks have unique stories,” she added. “Fresno Monopoly has given us a chance to celebrate everything that makes the city truly special. We hope that this game brings you closer to the places you love and even introduces you to some new places.”

 

Arias talked about how much Fresno Chaffee Zoo has improved since he was a kid and is now highly respected enough to be a large part of the new Monopoly game.

“When I was a kid, I came to the zoo, and it was one of the worst experiences, seeing all those animals in cages,” Arias said.  “Thanks to Measure Z… we’ve invested millions of dollars to make it a world-class facility of conservation and preservation.” 

Dyer touched on how having a Fresno-themed Monopoly is a great way to teach the next generation the history of Fresno. 

“Oftentimes, our children and grandchildren grow up in a community and they don’t really know the riches,” Dyer said. “They don’t know what the Tower District stands for, or the Tower Theater, or Fulton Street, or any of the other things that we have in Fresno. So, it’s important for all of us to be able to share those with our children and grandchildren.”

Dyer added that he has always considered Fresno “the best-kept secret in the state of California,” and that the game will allow people all over the country to learn what Fresno has to offer. 

The game is now available for $44.99 on the Top Trumps website and retail stores.