The oldest surviving Golden Arches McDonald's restaurant is the Downey McDonald's in California.
The restaurant opened in 1953 at 10207 Lakewood Boulevard, several years before Ray Kroc began expanding the McDonald's system nationally. Its distinctive twin-arches design was created for the McDonald brothers' early drive-in restaurants and became an important part of the company's visual identity.
The Downey building is not the original 1940 McDonald's site in San Bernardino. That earlier location was demolished, while the Downey restaurant continued operating and preserved its 1950s appearance. The site includes a small museum displaying McDonald's memorabilia and historic equipment.
It is often confused with the Des Plaines, Illinois, restaurant associated with Kroc's first McDonald's opening. Des Plaines is historically important, but Downey is the oldest surviving restaurant with the original Golden Arches design.