Old Maps Online

Old Maps Online – Explore Historical Maps by Place & Time

What is Old Maps Online?

Old Maps Online is a free, open-access search portal aggregating over 500,000 high-resolution historical maps from more than 50 libraries and archives worldwide . It provides a unified interface for browsing maps across centuries—beginning from the 1500s—without needing to know which institution hosts the original image.

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Why Choose Old Maps Online?

• Centralized Map Archive: Pulls together historic maps from major institutions such as the British Library, David Rumsey Collection, Harvard Library, and more.
• Intuitive Map + Timeline Interface: Use a map viewer with zoom and pan controls coupled with a timeline slider to filter maps by date and location .
• Overlay & Compare: Overlay historical maps onto modern basemaps, adjust opacity, and visually compare changes over time .
• Crowdsourced Enrichment: A vibrant community adds georeferenced maps via browser extension and contributes location metadata .
• Device-Friendly & Free: Works on desktop and mobile browsers—even offers apps with augmented reality features; completely free .

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Core Features

• Interactive map search: Zoom, pan, or search for place names to discover historical maps of any region
• Timeline filter: A time slider lets you choose specific years to view maps from that era
• Overlay & compare tool: Layer vintage maps over current cartography and adjust transparency for comparison
• Georeferencer extension: Community members add mapping data using a browser extension for improved searchability
• Wikipedia integration: Relevant articles linked for deeper exploration of historical context

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Getting Started in 3 Steps

1. Visit oldmapsonline.org and choose your language.
2. Zoom in or search for a location; use the timeline to filter date ranges.
3. Click any thumbnail to view the full map or overlay it on a modern base map.

Optional: Install the browser extension, click its icon when viewing a map online to contribute georeferenced data to the collection.

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Usage Tips

• Enable overlay mode to track geographic or urban development changes across centuries.
• Use timeline with story mode to explore key historical indicators like battles, borders, or expansion.
• Contribute if you spot an unmapped map—the crowd-sourced georeferencing helps grow the catalog.
• Mobile AR fun: Try the mobile apps to overlay vintage maps on real-world surroundings

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Old Maps Online free?
A: Yes, access to map browsing, overlay tools, and apps is entirely free

Q: How many historical maps does it include?
A: It indexes over 500,000 georeferenced maps from various global collections

Q: Can I overlay maps on modern maps?
A: Absolutely—you can overlay, compare, and adjust opacity of historical maps on modern map views

Q: How can I contribute maps?
A: Install the browser extension, then on any historical map page, click the icon to submit georeferenced map data for inclusion .

Q: Are there mobile apps available?
A: Yes. The iOS/Android apps support interactive map browsing, timeline filtering, overlay, and even basic AR functionality