Abandoned McDonald's - Charleston, WV 

My wife and I baught our first Christmas tree from the old Hills Department store that was in that plaza 34 years ago. And Im happy to report that I still have my wife, and the Christmas tree.😊

I live here in Charleston. This McDonald's was the best to go to in the 80's and 90's. But in the 2000's its food, staff, and cleanliness started dropping off, and went from bad to worse throughout 2000 - 2023. In early 2023, they tried to be better at cleaning, staffing, preparing and getting the orders filled correctly. But that was too little too late type of deal. 😢 So was so upset that corporate didn't send someone down to clean up their Everything! Really sad for the loss. North Charleston, doesn't have enough places to take our children to. Again, truly sad. 😢

I think McDonald’s should go back to the retro look.

I love this McDonald's instead of the current ugly box they are today. This is how they should look!

Oh my goodness! This brings back memories for me I used to eat there alot. I used to work at Hill's Department Store, best place I ever worked at. Kmart just down from McDonalds. Big Bear beside Hills. Just great memorys. North Charleston on Patrick Street.

Ahhhh. Reminds me of the McDonald's from my childhood in the 60's. Still had the arches!

The interior of that is the most aesthetically pleasing mcd I've seen in modern day.

I ate there many times. Like others have said there was Kmarts next door, Hills department store and a Big Bear grocery store. What hasn't been mentioned was there is 3 different automobile dealerships located there. Ford, Toyota and Oldsmobile at the time I ate at that retro styled Mickey D's. It was beautiful. What you don't know is that they had all kinds of 50's pictures hung on the walls.

Bad Area used to be a wonderful shopping area in the 90's and yes that was a Hills depth store ❤

I love the interior of the McDonald's! The wallpaper is cool, the seats, the colors thank you for sharing and Happy New Year, Wallie 😊

An awesome video, Wallie! Thanks for the photos of the McDonald's when they were open. I really like old school aesthetics of any fast food restaurants, especially McDonald's. Come to think of it, I had been down in Charleston, WV in the 1980s and I ate at that McDonald's. Take care, Alan.

Wow that was really cool, thanks for showing us this. Keep up the awesome work.

Such a classic building. Sucks to see them like this. Everything is shoe box shape now with no character.

I lived up on the hill in vandalia terrace as a kid back in 1992-1995ish. I know the big lots there has been there since before I was born in the 80s which is where I got my super nintendo for chrismas in 94, that mcdonalds was where my school friends and I ate around 25 years ago, sometimes my mom and I would get lunch here too in the summer before heading to the pool on the hillside or the nearby community pool. The pool on the hillside by the rec center is now a community garden just below vandalia terrace. I used to love looking down from the hillside and seeing the lights down below at night riding my bike with my friends as a kid....it really does bring almost flashback like memories.

I only live about an hour away from this. I never knew a nostalgia McDonalds like this was there, or I would have visited. Fast food restaurants from the 80’s and 90’s were so much better than today’s. Had so much character.

In the 70s when this McDonalds opened, it was THE McDonalds to go to. Kmart was always hopping, the west end of Charleston was where my family did their shopping. In the 80s Hills opened along with Big Bear, another two stores we always shopped at. The decline of the area happened in the 90s. Today sadly there is not much down there, all of Charleston is a mess.

It looks good! It looks like it could open back up tomorrow morning!

WallieB26 my Mom was born in Charleston WV. Really enjoyed your awesome abandoned McDonald's video! Looks so cool inside. YOU ROCK!!!!!

That place looks awesome I love that wall paper and the glass bricks

Kmart was right next door. I can remember when we came back from vacation in 1968 (?) and they were putting the "K" up on the Kmart sign. Later came the McDonald's, but by then, we had moved to Cross Lanes in 1970.

Awesome Vaporwave music at the end of your video Wallie, nice touch. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🩷

Awesome Wallie

I live here in Charleston, WV and this McDonald's I always thought was some training restaurant for new employees. They were always slow and they probably messed up your order at least 90% of the time. Given what I know about the Westside of Charleston, there was probably some shady activity going on as well (drugs). Shortly before they closed, however, they appeared to have hired some really good employees. They were very efficient, courteous, polite and professional.

Good Video! Interesting place! I like the outside and inside of this McDonald's! Looks like it could open up again! I miss the Hills stores!

one of the original McDonald's is still open in Downey California. It still has the golden arches like this one did

There was also an Ames department store there as well. I ate at this McDonald's in the late 90s when I was a little kid. That's how I remember the Ames department store

Amazing video as always, Wallie!

This should be turned to a retro-style diner

I used to go to this exact location because I lived in the area at the time!!

The McDonald's in West Virginia gives me vibes of the abandoned McDonald's in Middlesex New Jersey with the same type of red floor tiles.

Love seeing you explore places in West Virginia! One place I recommend is an abandoned Fazolis in Cross Lanes, WV. It has been closed for about 10 years.

We shopped down there weekly back in the 80s,90s. Kmart,Lowe's,hills,Ames,big bear,plaza pets,Charleston department store. It's really sad just how terrible that area is now. That McDonald's used to have an outside play place.

Cool video man

Awesome video Wallie keep it up buddy :D

i remember me and my buddy coming across that mcdonalds around 2022, we were hungry and saw a mcdonalds sign, but no mcdonalds, so i drove down after reading "turn right" on the sign and saw the place. I remember getting a picture of the place and I still have that picture

Man....I live in St. Albans, WV, and ate at that McDonald's a lot. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my grandparents would be out there doing their Christmas shopping (mostly at the also-now-abandoned K-Mart and the Hills you mentioned). Grandpa would drop Grandma off at whatever store she wanted to go to, then he'd take me to Mickey D's for cheeseburgers and he'd tell me all kinds of stories from when he was growing up in the mining towns, his time in the Army, career as a long-haul trucker......lot of memories in that shopping area.

I definitely went to the KMART next door with my family way back in the early 2000s as well!! But I will tell you this: Amazon should have claimed the old KMART location with either an Amazon Go Store or a Whole Foods Store!! But I heard it was already in the works way before anybody even knew that UHAUL was going to take the location by storm before anybody else could claim it!!

The “no trespassing” signs mean nothing really, just an attempt at intimidation. I’ve always ignored them, although I’ve never been able to go in a building. Great video. 👍

UHAUL used to be around the ballpark nearby in a much smaller building that was also nearby the new location!!

The sign was likely left behind due to zone permitting issues. Either the local zoning board denied their request to remove it (usually because a form wasn't filled out properly or something silly) or it was deemed too costly to bother. Zoning boards are an odd bunch.

Love your videos

And there was a K-Mart on the other side! Patrick Street…. Been there numerous times!

Love the color of the booths and chairs. And the inside looked good to. It all went together and just worked while not looking blah. All though those one pieces in there kind of were BK colored...lol. Hopefully what ever moves in (if anything does) keeps it like that cause I agree with other commenters that it would make a great old school diner.

Hills is at least partly occupied by a medical lab company. Big Lots used to be an Ohio-based grocery store called Big Bear. As others have said, this McDonald's had been in a long decline in food, cleanliness, service, etc. but seemed to have started righting the ship just before the closure was announced.

I love this McDonald

Love the retro look of rhe building but that modern paint color & removing the arches just strips the building of any character & personality.

That was a Hills and the Big Lots was a Big Bear Grocery store.

Happy new year 🎊🎉🎈🎊🎉🎈

We used to have a Hills here in Bluefield, WV as well. Spent a lot of time as a kid on a Saturday there in the games section lol.

old school for sure . love it

Wallie i wish i could of meet you i live one a second awsy from that old mcdonald's there was a old school mcdonald's there before that one that had a fun playground in front of the old one thats some history for u wallie that

That's really awesome 😮

I work at summersville mcdonalds and I used to go to this mcdonalds everytime I went to Charleston I love this old school design.

I live in Charleston WV. And I remember Kmart, Hills and Big Bear Grocery store. But I miss Kmart & Hills so much, & I wish they would bring Kmart back, or something like it. And the Big Bear Grocery store was where Big Lots is now.

He’s very dedicated to filming abandoned buildings because he’s filming in the snow! ❤

No way you came to Charleston! Hope to see you come closer to my neck of the woods in pike county eventually. Lots of abandoned things here

The Hills was also an Ames

Wallie, you should come back to Berea Depot. We live in Strongsville, Oh and are close to it. We headed there for lunch and the place is permanently closed. No reason given. Sad we all loved that place and I know you guys did too.

The last time I was there was probably 4-5 years ago. I ordered an ice cream sundae. The cashier didn’t know the ice cream machine wasn’t working. Hopefully someone will purchase and convert it into a diner style restaurant. Patrick Plaza was once a booming place! That Kmart was converted in the past year or two. I think it was the oldest Kmart in WV.

I live RIGHT across the river from this. Heck, I bought my first car in the parking lot behind it. It was always a slow McDonald’s, you were always there for 20-30 minutes trying to get food. The food was always oddly fresh, though. The employees just weren’t able to carry this sinking ship.

I feel like wallie should film the Lincoln park Michigan sears and the big boy restaurant next to the sears in Lincoln park Michigan. They’re both abandoned…!!

OK Wally I have a huge suggestion. There is a huge abandon strip mall in West Ashley. including in abandon CVS pharmacy in a band at Ryan's family buffet in a band at Jersey Mike's in a band in Ruby nails in Bandon hair topic in the Bandon boat store used to be Food lion The whole thing is about to be demolished in a couple of months. I already requested the man to do this, but he hasn't responded in West Ashley, South Carolina, near the new Turbo Cone near a Circle K. And near a Bigsby's coffee.

I live in Charleston and that McDonald’s was one of my favorites because it was close to my house and back in the 90s I was always going to that Hills department store and the Big Bear grocery store. One thing about this McDonald’s as others have commented, you did have to wait forever for your order and the milkshake and frappé machine hardly ever worked but it was a beautiful restaurant with the retro look. It was my “in the area” go to McDonald’s I was shocked when it closed! So sad!

There’s a McDonald’s in Middleton, WI very similar to this one that’s still open. It was a McDonald’s Classic until they renovated it within the last 3 years.

This McDonalds is nicer than our local ones. It’s hard to believe this one is closed.

Wallie, no one needs to tell you to kick rocks, you already did.😁

Sort of looks like my local McDonald's in Seminole Florida at Park and Starkey. Some in the area been renovated in the modern box design.

Thanks for the old school McD's.

I love your challenge videos, what a good laugh. You need to take some friends and go to a place like Buffalo Wild Wings and do the Hot Wing Challenge, now there would be some good laughs.

Nice job. At a less happy time-of my life I worked at Mc D's. I can say its a well run unit. Very clean, very orderly. Mangement Power to attitude was alright. Having a 4 year degree it was hard for me to accept orders from kids half my age. As a place for high school age folks I recommend it. But like everything else the prices have gotten out of control. Retired now I still have fond memories of Mc D's.

One day, we'll restore vintage McDonald's to their original brilliances, including this one.

I actually grew up eating at that McDonald's in the80s I would walk there every day..beside it was Kmart and the hills building was a grocery store long ago

That use to be a Hill’s and then an Ames. And beside it use to be a Big Bear. I grew up in Charleston.

very dope retro modern flare

I think the reason they leave the signs up at the road is so they can be "grandfathered" in since most places have new sign restrictions.

In Hidalgo,Texas about 2 miles before you cross the international bridge into Reynosa,Mexico they closed a McDonald’s about 6 years ago. I don’t know why they closed because they were always busy.

The Eberts from Harrison county closed this one due to declining sales. Also Wallie the Uhaul was an old Kmart it was abandoned when I was there back on 2019 to 2020. Part of the hills os a big lots

It looks like a giant smiley robot face from the front !

You Should Eat At One In Burlington Nc They have a similar one In Burlington NC But It’s Repainted It’s On Huffman Mill Rd

Looking at the building, on your left was a Kmart. Hills was closer to the river.

Love that retro

I've eaten there many times. It was still open when I left Charleston about 8 years ago.

Wow.. looks like it would have closed 40 years ago, not 2023! Awesome relic.

That McDonalds actually caught on fire, and they rebuilt it with the retro design. Once upon a time, it was the best McDonalds around.

Aw what shame it closed with the vintage design and Speedee mascot I hate the "shoebox" McDonald's so much

That McD's is still a hell of a lot better looking than most of the current locations.

I read you like rail fanning. Come to the Beckley W.V area n visit Prince W.V. there an Amtrack station there n it's absolutely in the boonies on the csx line.

This McDonald's seen better days I love old school designs and just seeing McDonald's in Grey modern doesn't really go together I like it better in red and yellow

This place is gourgeous! What a shame.

I live in the area, that area pretty much died when Hills and then later Ames went out, then Kmart went out. Big Lots used to be a Big Bear, where Dolor General is now a Burger King. If I remember correctly, the end of the building that Kmart was, that's now uhaul, was a bakery, we never went, it was too expensive. That vape shops use to be a BB&T, you can obviously tell where Wendy's used to be. Across Patric Street where the Rallies is, beside them use to be a bowling alley. It used to be "the place to go" if you didn't want to go to the mall in the 90s.

Very cool

Last time I went to that McDonalds was when there was a Chrysler dealership next door. Decided to eat while waiting to have the vehicle serviced. We were the only customers and the dining room was trashed and garbage cans in dining room was overflowing. A bunch young people were running the store and they were in the back cutting up and horseplaying. We had to clean off a table to have a seat. Was the last time we ate there. That was maybe the year before Chrysler was bought by Fiat.

My niece is in the army she's based in fort Campbell Kentucky and she lives in Clarksville Tennessee about an hour away from Nashville Tennessee and also Nashville Tennessee is one of the areas where wawa is expanding to in the next few years

This was clearly an original 60s mcdonalds. The building was added to to make it bigger and to add a drive thru but bet it once had the huge arch parking lot sign and the red and white tiles on sides of the buikding when it was in its original form.

I was reading on why this retro Mcdonald's closed. They said the service and location were bad?? Also one long time customer said it has a BASEMENT and was in use back in the day for dining...

NICE!!

Totally Awesome!!!

Boy am I FURIOUS about this!!

No McNuggets today 😢

I live 2 miles from here.. towards the end it wasworst run restaurant, I've ever been to. It had a playplace when i was a kid and remodeled to look like this in the late 2000s. That area of town is suffering big time