The Only State In The U.S. Where You'll Find A UFO-Shaped McDonald's

You don't go to McDonald's for whimsy and spontaneity. Although different people may own and operate the multitude of locations, the fast food franchise rigorously standardizes everything from the menu to the decor. This is why so many McDonald's these days look like they could be Amazon warehouses. But there are always exceptions, and this corporate homogeneity only makes the world's most unique McDonald's locations that much more interesting. There's the ski-thru McDonald's in Sweden's Lindvallen ski resort; there's the Art Deco McDonald's in Melbourne; and, of course, there's the McDonald's shaped like a UFO, located — where else? — in Roswell, New Mexico.

Roswell is often regarded as the UFO capital of the world. In 1947, unusual-looking debris was found on a farm outside Roswell and attributed, by some, to a flying saucer. (The United States government insists that the debris came from a weather balloon used to detect fallout from Soviet nuclear tests, but then again, they would say that, wouldn't they?) The conspiracy may not hold water, but it turned the desert town into a tourist destination for true believers and skeptics who have a taste for alien kitsch, attracting Mulders and Scullys alike. Ufology is reflected not only in the city's logo, but in its McDonald's, as well.

To be clear, only part of the Roswell McDonald's is shaped like a UFO. There is a drive-thru that looks like a more conventional McDonald's, as well as a Playland in a big glass extension. But it makes up for this lapse in architectural follow-through with an admirable commitment to its decorations on the inside. The Playland is space-themed, and the franchise's various mascots, including Ronald McDonald and Grimace, are located around the restaurant in spacesuits. There's even a giant McFlurry hanging from the suitably UFO-looking ceiling — and while there's nothing inherently extraterrestrial about them, the McFlurry was invented in Canada, which we guess makes it kind of alien.

Apart from its unusual theme, the Roswell McDonald's is much like any other McDonald's. You'll still be able to help yourself to a Big Mac or some McNuggets, and the odds of getting abducted by aliens while ordering a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, while maybe not zero, are not appreciably higher in Roswell than anywhere else. Still, it's a welcome dose of fun from a company that doesn't often have room for playfulness. Now, if only they could have the fabled McDonald's breakfast buffet here.