Photos of what has to be the creepiest old McDonald's restaurant in the world went viral on Reddit in 2016 after a few users took a walk around the riverfront fast food chain and shared what they found.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Nicknamed "The McBarge" (because it's essentially a riverboat), the floating McDonald's location is in Vancouver, Canada debuted in 1986. It was built as an attraction for Expo '86, the World's Fair held in Vancouver, for today's equivalent of $26 million.
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The plan was to take the floating McDonald's around the world. But interest in the novelty restaurant — which is only accessible by boat — quickly fizzled, and it has been abandoned for 30 years.
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Facebook/Anna G Rematore
Facebook/Anna G Rematore
The plan was to take the floating McDonald's around the world. But interest in the novelty restaurant — which is only accessible by boat — quickly fizzled, and it has been abandoned for over 30 years.
Still, all hope is not lost for the restaurant, which currently looks like the opening scene of your nightmares. It was bought in 1999 by new owner, developer Howard Meakin of Sturgeon's Developments and he finally mentioned some upcoming renovations in recent years. The Arches are finally getting the love they deserve.
Current ownership says it's planning a $3 million upgrade to be "restored and refitted" by the end of this year. But no word on if it will again become a restaurant, or even stay in Vancouver. According to their website, skys the limit really.
"The fascination with this landmark has led to much speculation on what's next, from restaurants to pubs to homeless shelters to the new Capilano University campus for the Sunshine Coast."
According to the website's events page, the McBarge was planning an event in Maple Ridge, a "Barge Warming Party" to welcome guests onboard for the first time since '86. Unclear if Big Macs are involved! It seems that things are postponed due to weather conditions so stay tuned for more updates!
This article was originally published in December 2016 but has since been updated.
