The First McDonald’s location, San Bernardino

The Original McDonald’s – San Bernardino, California

We made a stop at the very first McDonald’s location in San Bernardino, California. It’s no longer a functioning restaurant—it’s now a full-blown museum. And honestly, it was awesome.

The guy at the information desk was incredibly helpful. He told us all about the original Route 66 path, how much of it has been removed, and what we need to look out for as we head into L.A.—especially the traffic. He gave us some smart tips on how to stay safe and how to get around all that gridlock.

Inside, the museum had the very first McDonald’s menu from when it opened in the 1950s, along with artifacts from theMcDonald’s movie (you know the one—the story behind how it all began). There were throwback displays of old Happy Meal toys—everything from Beanie Babies and Cabbage Patch Dolls to 101 Dalmatians and Snow White. Total nostalgia overload.

And yes, the Hamburglar and Grimace made their appearance, too! They even had some of the larger figures—like the talking tree, and a hot dog character (even though McDonald’s doesn’t sell hot dogs anymore). I know they once sold pizza too… that’s gone now, but the memories are still there.

We took a bunch of fun Photoshops with things like the Mystery Machine, some of the old ride-on toys, and yes—I got on a jet ski. I even got to tickle Taz, who had his arms thrown up like he was dying of laughter!

The original signage is still outside, and there are beautiful murals telling the McDonald’s story. We even picked up a two-page handout with the history of the brand.

What a quirky, unexpected highlight of the trip.