Past Chicago
Historic Photos on the map
Free · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
Discover Chicago’s past through historic photos and film. Explore the map and archive side by side with a new layout designed for iPhone Duo.
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.
TERMS OF USE (EULA)
https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy Policy
https://pastchicago.com/privacy
Past Chicago now supports iPhone Duo.
Explore the map alongside historic photographs in a new layout for the inner display. Open or close your Duo without losing your selected photograph or zoom. Photo and film layouts adapt as you fold the screen.
This update also improves landscape layouts and support for larger text.
The developer, Boxcue Technologies LLC, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Usage Data
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Boxcue Technologies LLC
- Size
- 9.9 MB
- Category
- Education
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 18.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 18.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 18.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 15.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 2.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Age Rating
13+
- 13+
- Infrequent
Alcohol, Tobacco, Drug Use or References
Contains
Advertising
- Copyright
- © 2026 Boxcue Technologies LLC