The Once-Iconic McBarge: A Floating McDonald's Lost to Time

The Friendship 500, affectionately dubbed the McBarge, was a unique McDonald's location that floated on water. Built for Expo 86 in Vancouver, Canada, this barge was designed to showcase future technology and could theoretically serve burgers anywhere it drifted.

However, after the expo, the McBarge was left moored in Burrard Inlet for nearly three decades, yearning for diners who never returned. Its decline took a turn for the worse when it partially capsized in the Fraser River in 2025.

Despite its fate, the McBarge had a brief moment in the spotlight in 2003 when it served as a filming location for "Blade: Trinity." Plans for its resurgence emerged in 2009 when owner Howard Meakin proposed a redevelopment project, but environmental concerns thwarted that vision. Attempts to renovate the barge into a seafood restaurant in 2016 ultimately fell short after it sank, leaving its ownership and future uncertain.

Source: www.thetakeout.com