The UFO-Themed McDonald's You Never Knew Existed
Over 70 years ago, something inexplicable happened. W.W. "Mac" Brazel and his son, Vernon, were driving across their ranch when they came upon what looked like the wreckage of some bizarre space-craft. It was what looked like metallic fabric, paper, and sticks. The confused Brazel collected it and showed it to his sheriff, who then alerted the Air Force and ultimately, an intelligence officer from the nearby base. What followed would go down in UFO history forever: a headline in the local newspaper reading: "RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell" (via Smithsonian).
Wild speculation and granular analysis about alien bodies in the wreckage and government cover-ups ensued (via Wired). Today, we think we know what caused the crash — a government program called "Project Mogul," developed to spy on the Russian nuclear program – but diehard Roswell enthusiasts debate the famous incident to this day (via Wired). So if you had to choose where to put a UFO-themed McDonald's, you'd probably agree: This baby belongs in Roswell, New Mexico. And it does.
Legacy of alien lore in Roswell
There it sits, a distinctly flying-saucer-shaped, shiny metal ode to all things alien and cheeseburger. Word is, says Trip Advisor, it even has McDonald's characters that look like they're floating in space, and requisite New Mexican green chili on the burgers. As for the rest of the food, it's apparently pretty standard Mickey-D's fare. But guys, it's like the inside of a space ship. One reviewer on Yelp even said there were animatronic aliens. If that isn't reason enough to go, what is?
The rest of Roswell has also found ways to make the best of their otherworldly conspiracy vibes. There's the International UFO Museum and Research Center for tourists curious to learn more about the incident. There's a shop selling all things extraterrestrial, UFO street lamps, and mailboxes, and even Roswell's UFO-adorned official seal (via Atlas Obscura and Trip Advisor). And — get this — it wasn't the only UFO-themed McDonald's to grace our earth. Reddit says there was one in the UK, too, which was sadly demolished in 2010 (via The Hunts Post). Here's hoping Roswell's version stays with us in this dimension.