The golden arches of McDonald's are familiar all around the world. But not every location that the fast food giant opened has lasted the distance – including some of the most amazing and surprising spots. Here, we look at 21 incredible McDonald's outposts where hungry diners could once get their fix of burgers and fries. 

Click or scroll through our gallery to see amazing McDonald's locations that are sadly no more, counting down to the most incredible of them all.

Our ranking is based on the popularity, iconic status and unusual architecture of each McDonald's restaurant, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

Opened in 2002, this franchise was built to resemble the old-school McDonald's restaurants of the 1960s, just like the one in Des Plaines. It even featured the old logo from 1953 and had vintage décor and posters throughout, as well as some of the old equipment like a milkshake mixer, used by McDonald's back in the day. The location has now permanently closed, and it's been stripped of all McDonald's signage.

Reflecting its NYC Chinatown location, this McDonald's franchise used to feature Chinese characters on its signage. The bright red pagoda-style entrance, tucked neatly between the adjoining stores, added a kitsch touch for visitors to enjoy. Sadly, it closed in the summer of 2015 and the one-of-a-kind façade was lost to fast food history.

This neon-lit franchise, which looks like it's straight out of Blade Runner, was a popular McDonald's branch in the A&S Plaza (now Manhattan Mall) in the 1990s. The restaurant featured plenty of neon signs, black and white tiles and lots of shiny metal features, giving it a futuristic look. It closed sometime in the late 1990s.

While a new McDonald's opened in 2015 not far from the original, nothing comes close to the unique design of the previous franchise that stood in Laie, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, for nearly 30 years. A popular stop for those visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center, this branch featured a distinctive Polynesian-inspired design to match its surroundings.

Known as Epic McD, this was and still is the world's largest entertainment McDonald's, although its current iteration is significantly less exciting than that of the 1990s (pictured here). First opened in 1976, there's an epic menu to match the name – in addition to the standard McDonald's items there's also Belgian waffles, paninis, tortellini with pesto and personalised pizza. It was remodelled in 2016 and gone went the playful yellow squares and giant fries.

Known for beautiful mountains and colourful parks, Ulsan was also home to one of the few self-serve petrol stations in South Korea that also served as a McDonald's outlet. The branch didn't have the typical yellow and red colour scheme but instead had bright pink neon lights illuminating it. 

This McDonald’s, which was dubbed the biggest in the world, was only in operation for six weeks. Built for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, the 32,000 square-foot restaurant was demolished following the closing ceremonies. Around 75% of the building was recycled or reused in other locations; even the used cooking oil was recycled into a special blend of biodiesel for more than half of McDonald’s UK delivery trucks.

Yes, there was once a floating McDonald's restaurant. Located on the Mississippi River below the Gateway Arch, and built on a former cement barge, it was a family favourite for 20 years. It was decommissioned in 2000 as it needed extensive renovation and it's not clear what exactly happened to the boat. For a while, there was a rival floating Burger King on the river too, but it broke free of its moorings and smashed into the Poplar Street Bridge during a flood in 1993.

While technically this McDonald's location still exists, it's nothing like it used to be. Built in 1957 and once said to be the world's largest McDonald's franchise, the steel arch was painted yellow, the Golden Arches symbol adorned the front and a large McDonald's sign welcomed weary travellers with the promise of juicy burgers and crispy fries. After the service plaza closed in 2013 for renovation, it reopened as Will Rogers Archway. The McDonald's reopened, too, but it now shares the space with Subway and other shops.

First opened in 1925 as the Bankers Trust Company Building, the impressively ornate terracotta-clad structure in downtown Detroit has housed everything from the bank and a brokerage firm to a Greek diner and a series of nightclubs. But, back in the 1980-90s, it was a McDonald's outpost.

Once a super fun-looking McDonald's near Disney's All-Star Resorts in Florida, this franchise was adorned with McDonaldland character Ronald McDonald and a giant Happy Meal box with a burger, fries and a drink. The building was torn down and now a new solar-powered McDonald's has taken its place. 

Also known as Friendship 500, the McBarge was a floating McDonald's restaurant built for Vancouver's Expo 86. Staff wore sailor-themed uniforms, the chain's branding adorned the exterior and it was located along Vancouver's waterfront. However, the restaurant didn't last much beyond the World Fair's six-month event – a couple of years later it was towed to Burrard Inlet (where it's pictured here) and left to decay. In recent years there have been various reports it might be refurbished, but its future is still to be decided.

Next door to the Space Center Houston, this space-themed McDonald's embraced its location on NASA Road and featured a giant astronaut on its roof. What's more, the kids' Play Space logo was specifically redesigned for the location, so the word 'space' appears in a futuristic NASA-like font. It was replaced by a modern, far less exciting building, but a giant statue of an astronaut holding McDonald's fries was erected outside in 2022.

Closed in 2017, Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's was a Chicago icon for over 20 years. First opened in 1983, it had a rock 'n' roll-themed exhibit, luxurious decor and the first drive-thru that had two lanes. A new McDonald's opened its doors in this same location in 2018, but gone were the memorabilia and funky interior. Instead, there's now a floating glass garden of ferns and white birch trees inside, and more than a thousand solar panels sit atop the roof.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a shopping destination for Milan's elite, features shops like Louis Vuitton, Versace and – at one point in time – McDonald's. In 2012, the mall refused to renew the fast food giant's 20-year tenancy and, after a legal battle, McDonald's closed its doors to make way for a Prada store.

Housing a replica of the original McDonald's restaurant, the McDonald's No.1 Store Museum in Des Moines had memorabilia displayed throughout, including vintage posters, red and white tiles from the original restaurant, and the string ties worn by employees from the 1950s to the early 1970s. Sadly, it was demolished in 2018 because the building was prone to flooding and expensive to maintain.

The twin golden arches of McDonald's are a familiar sight all around the world, having become the standard signifier for the company in the 1960s. But did you know that there are a tiny handful of locations – believed to be less than a dozen – that still have an older single arch sign? This spot in Belleville, Illinois was one of them, but it sadly closed its doors in March 2023.  

A truly one-of-a-kind McDonald's, this franchise was called Burger Invasion. Located in Disney California Adventure Park, the restaurant resembled a cross between a giant burger and a UFO, with port holes in the beef patty. It opened in 2001 along with the rest of the park but closed seven years later along with two other McDonald's locations within the park. 

There was no mistaking that this was a McDonald’s restaurant. The building was shaped like the iconic Happy Meal box, with giant fries, a Big Mac and a cup of Coke adorning the exterior for good measure. Sadly, this location was remodelled in 2016 and the Happy Meal building is no more.

Another temporary McDonald's set up to cater to competitors and fans at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, this one resembled a combo meal. Located in the Gangneung Olympic Park, the entrance was made to look like a burger, the tall seating area was set up as a drink, and there was a (super size) portion of fries in the middle.

The iconic Times Square four-storey McDonald's, once considered its flagship store, closed in the summer of 2020 after 17 years of operation. Built to look like a vintage Broadway theatre entrance, the huge overhanging sign featured an eye-popping 7,000 lightbulbs. Customers didn't have too far to go when it shut, as a new McDonald's opened just two blocks away – though it can't compete with the razzle dazzle of this lost favourite.

Now discover the incredible story of how McDonald's conquered the world

Last updated by Clare Thorp.