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.

Unfortunately, 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, it was demolished once the Paralympics closing ceremony was over. Nearly 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.

One of the more recent casualties, the iconic Times Square four-storey McDonald's closed in June this year. Built to look like a vintage Broadway theatre entrance, the huge overhanging sign featured hundreds of flashing lights. And there was a price tag to match – due to its location, customers were likely to pay more for their meals than in any other outpost. A new and more modern McDonald's was opened last year just two blocks away.

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

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Yes, there was once a floating McDonald's restaurant. Located on the Mississippi River below the Gateway Arch, 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. 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 a complete renovation, it reopened as Will Rogers Archway. The McDonald's reopened too but it now shares the space with Subway and Kum & Go.

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 and the tall seating area was set up as a drink, with a portion of fries in the middle.

Take a look at special McDonald's menu items from around the world

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.

First opened in 1925 as the Bankers Trust Company Building, the impressively ornate terracotta-clad structure has housed everything from the bank and a brokerage firm to a Greek diner and a series of nightclubs. But briefly in the 1980s and the 1990s it was a McDonald's outpost.

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A truly one-of-a-kind McDonald's, this franchise was called Burger Invasion. Located in Disney California Adventure Park, the franchise resembled a giant burger-like UFO. 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. 

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. 

This neon-lit franchise might look like it's straight out of Blade Runner, but in fact it was a popular branch in the A&S Plaza (now Manhattan Mall) in the 1990s. The franchise featured plenty of neon signs, black and white tiles and lots of shiny metal features, giving it a futuristic look. It closed some time in the second half of the 1990s.

Discover the incredible story of how McDonald's conquered the world

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.

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, Hawaii 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.

Check out America's most historic fast food joints

There’s no mistaking that this is a McDonald’s restaurant. Shaped like the iconic Happy Meal box, there are also giant fries, a Big Mac and a cup of Coke adorning the exterior for good measure. Sadly, this location has recently been remodelled and the Happy Meal building is no more.

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 décor and the first two-lane drive-thru. A new McDonald's opened its doors in this same location a year later, but gone was 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.

Also known as Friendship 500, the McBarge was a floating McDonald's restaurant built for Vancouver's Expo 86. In its heyday, staff wore sailor-themed uniforms, the chain's branding adorned the exterior and it was located along Vancouver's waterfront. However, the restaurant wasn't to 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. There's some hope for its revival, although not as a McDonald's outpost. In 2016, there were reports it was to be refurbished but its future is still to be decided.

Now take a look at incredible McDonald's locations that still exist