California had the McDonald's restaurant that introduced the modern indoor playground concept in 1971.
McDonald's branding expanded beyond signs, packaging, and advertising when the company began adding family-oriented play features to restaurants. In 1971, a McDonald's in Chula Vista, California, introduced PlayPlace, a branded play area designed to make the restaurant more attractive to families with children.
The idea became a major part of McDonald's visual and customer experience. PlayPlace structures commonly used bright colors, climbing equipment, slides, and later enclosed tube systems. The design helped distinguish McDonald's from ordinary fast-food restaurants and reinforced its family-friendly identity.
PlayPlace is sometimes confused with the company's charity branding or with later indoor playgrounds operated by other restaurant chains. The important historical point is that McDonald's turned a children's play area into a recognizable part of its restaurant format, beginning with the California location in 1971.