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A museum at 1398 N. E Street, San Bernardino, stands on the site where the McDonald brothers turned their drive-in into the first McDonald's hamburger stand in 1948, according to the California Historic Route 66 Association. Metrolink describes it as holding fast-food memorabilia and says it is not affiliated with McDonald's.
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Historic Original Mcdonalds Museum
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Site-level location · 34.1420° N, 117.2898° W
FIELD GUIDE
The story
This is the site where Richard and Maurice McDonald turned their drive-in into the first McDonald's hamburger stand in 1948, according to the California Historic Route 66 Association. The association's San Bernardino page says the former site now hosts a museum, and lists it as the McDonald's Museum at 1398 N. E Street on its points of interest.
Metrolink, the regional rail authority, notes that the museum is not technically affiliated with McDonald's. It describes a collection of McDonald's historical artefacts and memorabilia, including news clippings, menus, straws and a prototype ketchup-dispensing gun.
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PRACTICAL
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WHAT TO EXPECT
A small museum of McDonald's and early fast-food memorabilia, including news clippings, menus, straws and a prototype ketchup-dispensing gun, according to Metrolink. It is run independently of McDonald's. Metrolink advises contacting the museum or the California Historic Route 66 Association (route66ca.org) for hours and admission.
ACCESS
1398 N. E Street, San Bernardino, California. Metrolink suggests the train to San Bernardino to Downtown, the sbX bus north to Baseline Street, then a 0.3-mile walk north on E Street.
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