You do not need to be fascinated by fast food to enjoy the Original McDonald’s Site in San Bernardino. This is where Richard and Maurice McDonald developed the restaurant operation that would eventually become one of the world’s most recognizable brands.
The original restaurant building is gone, and the site is not operated by today’s McDonald’s Corporation. Instead, you will find a small museum packed with memorabilia, old signs, packaging, photographs and objects connected with the history of the chain.
Why I would stop
What makes the place interesting is the wider story. The brothers’ highly organized kitchen and limited menu helped change how inexpensive food could be prepared and served. Ray Kroc later turned the concept into the global franchise most people know today.
The museum has the slightly eccentric feel that suits a Route 66 road trip perfectly. It is not a slick corporate visitor center, and I think that makes it better.
Combine it with Route 66
I would not build an entire day around the museum. Instead, make it one stop on a Route 66 circuit through San Bernardino, perhaps combined with Mitla Cafe, the Wigwam Motel and other historic roadside sights.
Allow enough time to look at the details rather than simply taking a photograph outside. For travelers interested in American popular culture, roadside history or the strange ways global brands begin, it is one of San Bernardino’s most memorable stops.