Past Chicago

Get happily lost in old Chicago. Explore thousands of historic photos on the map, from neighborhood streets to the 1893 World's Fair. Free, with no ads.

You know the street. You might not recognize the photograph.

Past Chicago puts thousands of historic photographs on a map of the city. Start with your neighborhood, follow the lakefront, or wander through the Loop. Tap a place to see its buildings and street scenes from years gone by.

Stop by Riverview Park or explore the 1893 World's Fair. Some places are instantly recognizable; others might have you checking the street signs.

Find your own way through the collection:

• Search for places and addresses, or use Locate Me to see what's nearby.
• Filter by year to explore a different era, then browse the available photographs at each location.
• Open a photograph full screen, swipe through the gallery, and zoom in for a closer look.
• Save places you'd like to revisit.

There's a little motion, too: watch a silent 1897 street scene filmed at State and Madison, right on the map where it happened.

Every photograph includes its archive source, credit and available date information. Open the original archive record to keep looking. Approximate locations are labeled, with notes to help make sense of streets and addresses that have changed.

The entire collection is free. No ads, subscriptions or in-app purchases.

Made for iPhone and iPad. Location permission is optional, so you can explore Chicago from anywhere.

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