AboutIn the 1970s, McDonald's began development on their new campus in Oak Brook, Illinois. The goal, per McDonald's CEO Fred Turner (grandson of modernist architecture pioneer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe), was to create a campus-in-park type headquarters.After hiring architect Dick Lohan, the company began to build their campus on over 70 acres of land, complete with winding paths surrounded by nature, lakes with small waterfalls connecting, cast statues, and a 218-room hotel which connected to Hamburger University via a bridge...
About
In the 1970s, McDonald's began development on their new campus in Oak Brook, Illinois. The goal, per McDonald's CEO Fred Turner (grandson of modernist architecture pioneer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe), was to create a campus-in-park type headquarters.
After hiring architect Dick Lohan, the company began to build their campus on over 70 acres of land, complete with winding paths surrounded by nature, lakes with small waterfalls connecting, cast statues, and a 218-room hotel which connected to Hamburger University via a bridge across a lake on the ground floor. Naturally, a certain kitschiness worked its way into the buildings (it was the 1980s, after all), including golden arch-shaped door handles and a quarter-pounder-inspired board room. The company also opted to place large test kitchens on the top floor, giving the chefs some of the best views. It was completed and opened in 1988.
Then, in an effort to attract younger talent to the company, McDonald's moved their headquarters into the city. They left behind the campus with the intent to sell it, including all buildings and the Hyatt Lodge hotel with active bookings through the following two years. The campus fell into slight disrepair as buildings became vacant.
In 2023, Ace Hardware took over the primary headquarters building and modernized it, while retaining the midcentury architecture. This included bringing buildings on the campus up to code, reinvesting in company social aspects including the construction of an employee cafe on the previous first-floor parking garage, and swapping the top-floor kitchens for office space.
Most of the area has been resold, with some parts being used by the city as a park and soccer pitch and others being leased to smaller companies.
Certain elements of the hamburger-centric past can still be seen across the campus. One of the main roads still proudly displays the name "Ronald Ln" and statues still display plaques talking about the Ronald McDonald House charity. The Yukimi Doro Lantern Memorial, which the president of McDonald's Japan gave the company as a memorial of Ray Kroc can still be found on a small island in the middle of one of the lakes. Most, if not all, of the water features and statues remain in place. But, the most significant tell-tales are within the Hyatt Lodge, where signs still point to the "Bridge to Hamburger University" and paintings throughout the hotel clearly inspired by McDonald's while retaining an otherwise diverse range of art movements.
Also, located on the campus is the largest Ohio Buckeye tree in the United States, which can be found outside the lobby entrance to the hotel.
Know Before You Go
Parking on the campus is primarily in one parking lot off Ronald Lane. If coming by Ace Drive, turn left on Ronald Ln and you will see it on the right after the bridge. If coming direct from Jorie Blvd the lot will be on the left after the first building on the right.
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