Are you a McDonald’s lover? Then we’ve got a treat for you! The world’s first permanent official McDonald’s Museum, named the Mai Mai Museum, recently opened in China to delight fans and pop culture seekers across the region. Located in Shenzhen’s Futian district’s A Park, the museum is an immersive, time-travel experience that tells the story of McDonald’s history and brand legacy through dazzling, nostalgic, inventive displays. Particularly, it focuses on its roots in China from the 1990s. In fact, the 6-storey building itself resembles a gigantic Happy Meal Box—with a zigzag yellow staircase featuring huge inflatable McNuggets. Wonderfully, Shenzhen is just a four-hour direct flight from Singapore. Here’s why the first-ever McDonald’s Museum in Asia needs to be on your bucket list.
World’s first McDonald’s Museum opens
The Mai Mai Museum takes over a 6-storey building that resembles a Happy Meal in Shenzhen. It offers time-capsule exhibitions on each floor depicting the evolution of McDonald’s in China from the 1990s to today, and a life-sized Ronald McDonald welcoming guests at the entrance before they step into the past.
The landmark venue offers immersive exhibitions celebrating the history of McDonald’s in China and the broader Asia region. Additionally, there are more than 50,000 pieces of memorabilia and interactive displays, including rare toys and vintage burger boxes, making one of the most unique attractions in Asia.
Visitors can admire archival photos of mainland China’s first McDonald’s, as well as vintage items like the original milkshake cups, iconic Hello Kitty and Snoopy collaborations, Happy Meal toys, see a burger box and toy wall from early days, and recreations of legendary McDonald’s birthday parties with retro orange sofas and burger stools—so fans can relive their childhood celebrations.
Excitingly, every visitor at the McMc Museum can purchase an exclusive Museum Combo Meal complete with a lottery ticket for guaranteed prizes from the museum. Plus, there’s a cool photobooth to snap instagrammable moments, social media challenge games, and other photo-worthy experiences. Entry tickets begin at RMB28 (S$5) and include a meal.
Interestingly, Shenzhen is symbolic for the McDonald’s brand as the city hosted the first-ever McDonald’s restaurant in 1990 on the Chinese mainland.
Why is it the world’s first official McDonald’s Museum?
Shenzhen’s McDonald’s Museum is the world’s first officially branded museum of its kind according to our research. Globally, McDonald’s does have other museums such as the Original McDonald’s Site & Museum in California’s San Bernardino—which features the world’s oldest McDonald’s restaurant. However, these are privately owned, not officially branded, and are historical sites rather than immersive experience centres.
Additionally, there have been temporary pop-up McDonald’s experiences in Asia and around the world— such as the McSpicy Museum in Singapore back in May— Though Shenzhen’s McMc Museum is the first official, long-lasting McDonald’s Museum worldwide.
How to get there
Travellers from Singapore can reach the McDonald’s Museum via a direct flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. Airlines like China Southern and Shenzhen operate daily direct flights with an average flight time of four hours and 10 minutes. Upon arrival, there are several transport options to reach the city centre. Certainly, a new pop culture tourist attraction to see on mainland China.
📍9 Meili Road, A Park L2-09, Xiameilin, Futian District, Shenzhen, China
All pictures in this article are screenshots from @fancyfutian_ via TikTok.
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