The Real Original McDonald's!

Remember when you could go to McDonald's and get a hamburger for around 15 cents?  I do.  And if you want to take a nostalgic trip down McD's Memory Lane, you can go to the oldest McDonald's around on Lakewood Blvd. in Downey.  It opened in 1953 and has a really cool museum there.

But...that is not where McDonald's really got started.  That happened out San Bernardino in 1940.  They originally sold barbecue, but when they noticed that most of their orders were for the hamburgers that were also on the menu, they made the switch and re-opened as a walk-up hamburger stand.  It caught on big time and they started to franchise the concept in 1953.

Turns out that original restaurant on "E" Street in San Bernardino is still there.  It's been purchased by the owner of a local chicken restaurant and converted into a museum.  No burgers for sale, but some really cool things from the history of McDonald's including uniforms, souvenirs, early fast food equipment and menus....peanut butter and jelly french fries....yup they had them.

And if you are lucky, you'll get a chance to tour the museum with one of several McDonald's historians.  

Best of all...it's free!