OAK BROOK, ILLINOIS. — McDonald's Corp. (MCD.N) has announced it will demolish a suburban Chicago museum that's a replica of the hamburger chain's first restaurant.

Ray Kroc built his first restaurant in 1955 in Des Plaines, after franchising the brand from the original owners, Richard and Maurice McDonald.

The Chicago Tribune reports the store was torn down in 1984. McDonald's Store No. 1 Museum opened the next year, with the original restaurant's sign out front.

In a statement, McDonald's says tourist numbers have declined due to repeated flooding of the site since 2008.

The company says the museum will be razed next month and the land donated to Des Plaines.

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A replica of Ray Kroc's first McDonald's franchise, which opened on April 15, 1955, that is now a museum in Des Plaines, Illinois. (The Associated Press/Nam Y. Huh)
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Mannequins stand in a display in the McDonald's museum. (The Associated Press/Nam Y. Huh)
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Fake meat patties and buns are part of the display in the work areas in the McDonald's museum. (The Associated Press/Nam Y. Huh)
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Milk shake machines are exhibited in the McDonald's museum. (The Associated Press/Nam Y. Huh)