The charm of a New York City summer vacation — the ideal place for a summer resort? — lies in the unrivaled transportation facilities of the great seaport.
Old cities and places
Before air conditioning and refrigerators existed, see some of the ways people managed to stay cool in summer during the great New York heat wave of 1911!
Inside the rambling 160-room Winchester Mystery House, doors lead into blank walls, staircases end in midair, trap doors spring to the floors below, and elevators rise through the roof.
Take a look at these modest old-fashioned swimsuits for men and women, seen on real beachgoers and early movie actresses, with many high-quality and colorized vintage photos!
When you look back at these old photos of skyscraper construction, you’ll see men way up high without harnesses, walking along beams suspended hundreds of feet above the street, and swinging on cables.
100 years ago, public swimming pools were vital for summer survival The charm of vintage public swimming pools from the early 1900s transports us back
What were vintage 1970s supermarkets like – and how do they compare to today’s grocery store options? Take a look back several decades to see!
Take a look back at vintage Wal-Mart history, from a modest 5 & 10 store to a global retail behemoth, through innovations and key moments that redefined shopping and turned into today’s massive Walmart chain.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, named for the author of the US national anthem, was a standout piece of American engineering, and an emblem of historical importance, until its collapse in March 2024. Here’s a look back.
Even before Hawaii became a state in 1959, it was a top tourist destination – and for good reason. See how the tropical islands looked back in the fifties!
What’s amazing about KFC history? There really was a Colonel Sanders, he truly had a secret recipe, and he actually started Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants.
Summer of Love & the Haight-Ashbury district: The intersection of peace, music & revolution In the beating heart of the mid-60s, the Summer of Love
Hop in the time machine for a whirlwind tour of 20th-century hotel rooms that are like stepping into a living history book!
Let’s explore the fates of some of the most iconic 80s restaurants, charting their journey from their heyday to the present. Which ones have survived?
Step back in time to 1980s grocery stores! From barcode scanners to in-house brands, they paved the way for major retail transformation. See inside these 80s supermarkets and what foods they might be selling.
The invention of the Ferris Wheel was a jaw-dropping innovation of its time! Find out the history of the Ferris Wheel ride we now know so well, plus see pictures of the HUGE first one.
Sambo’s Restaurants were popular in the ’60s and ’70s. But as much as people loved the diners, the company name was always a problem. Here’s why.
If you need a book, you used to need to look for the most important item in the library — the vintage card catalog.
In 1976, Marriott’s Great America theme parks were born from a simple yet ambitious idea: give families an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience. Here, see the parks in California & Illinois in the 70s & 80s!
When it comes to the fascinating saga of American fast food, the tale of Roy Rogers Restaurant chain is a true standout. Check out these old photos from decades past.
The gorgeous aerial photos of these city skylines and scenes grant us a bird’s eye view of the evolution of our urban landscapes.
Old streetcars (aka trolleys or trams) are more than just vintage transportation — they’re a window into our past. Streetcars helped shape American cities, and
Vintage 40s diners were descendants of the railroad dining car, and often sported shiny metal on the outside and a long counter with stools on the inside. Take a ride back in time to see 40 examples of roadside diners!
New York City’s luxurious old Waldorf-Astoria hotel was among America’s first big hotels. When it was built during the Victorian era, it was considered the finest hotel in the world – and soon became the most famous, too.
New York in 1911: Watch Edwardian New Yorkers come to life in this amazing rediscovered film footage
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to have lived a century ago, or to have wandered the streets of a much younger Manhattan, you will be amazed by the footage in New York 1911!
Leland Stanford, Jr University in California – now known just as Stanford – was created to honor a young boy’s death. His parents so grieved his loss, they put millions into creating a college in his name.
Look back at Hawaii in the 60s. The huge tourist boom of the era helped thousands fall in love with the state – but also forever changed the islands’ landscape.
Disneyland in the 1980s was one of the ultimate vacation destinations for people of all ages. See some of the maps and materials they were using to promote their attractions — old and new!
Have a look at beautiful vintage landscape photography featuring various natural wonders of the US — as seen around the turn of the last century.
When the Watergate apartments opened in 1967, they quickly became THE address for high-profile politicians. Here’s some promo from when they were new!
Check out these vintage views of the downtown Seattle skyline to see how the city looked back from the 19th century through to the 21st!
Here’s a look back at snow removal 100 years ago, so you can see how much work went into clearing cities after blizzards and other big winter storms.
Lithographed vintage travel posters like those shown here are now sometimes sold at auction for tens of thousands of dollars, but they began as ads for a burgeoning industry.
Find out how the Homestead Act of 1862 helped shape American society in dramatic ways by playing a vital role in the settlement of vast US prairie lands.
What was 1950s train travel like, back when riding the railroad was more affordable – and sometimes more luxurious – than airplane travel? Here’s a look back at the fine dining, sleeper cars, a pub and more.
In 1922, Washington DC had their biggest blizzard in 34 years, and in many ways, it brought the city to a halt. Here’s a look at the nation’s capital covered in snow so long ago.
It’s incredible to see how awesome — in size, in design, in popularity — old-fashioned indoor swimming pools could be. Here, take a look at 10 gorgeous pools from days gone by!
Here’s a close-up look at several vintage WW2 tanks, along with insight on how to ‘jockey’ these huge machines, plus some more about the Sherman and Grant tanks’ impressive military history.
When you scroll through these wonderful pictures of old Pasadena from around the turn of the century, you can practically imagine strolling these elegant tree-lined streets, and seeing Victorian mansions, schools and libraries up close.
What was the Disney World opening like? See how it looked and get some facts and figures about Disney’s grand opening here.
Of his famous movie “The Birds,” director Alfred Hitchcock said, ‘It could be the most terrifying motion picture I have ever made!’ And for many thousands of people, it was. Find out more about the 60s film here.
These idyllic scenes from old Atlantic City show the fancy hotels, beautiful boardwalk, busy beaches, and fashionable crowds – all part of why the city and the Jersey shore used to be one of the east coast’s top vacation destinations.
Did a lie and nine blank cartridges win independence for America? The war ended at Yorktown. It was there, on October 19, 1781, that Cornwallis surrendered to Washington. Find out more of the story here!
Millions of people in San Francisco’s East Bay drive by the iconic Orinda Theatre every year, with its neon sign easily visible from the freeway. So what’s its story? Find out more about this California landmark here!
What did Carowinds theme park look like back in the 1980s? Here’s a look at the vintage Hanna-Barbera-affiliated amusement park that straddled the line between two states.
Disneyland’s old Carousel of Progress from the ’60s was a huge model of a city of soaring spires. Automated highways. Open green spaces. Nuclear power. Take a look back!
Lake Almanor’s great beauty and immense expanse captivate the imagination. Amidst the pine forests, when built, it was the largest power reservoir in the United States. Here’s a little of its history!
From the sixties: You will be delighted at the wide variety of things to do and see all year ’round in Outdoor Mississippi. Hundreds of lakes and rivers, five huge reservoir playgrounds, fourteen state parks and, of course, the glamorous and famous Gulf Coast.
We discovered these 22 amazing old pictures of some of the most gorgeous historical hotel lobbies from across the US. Have a scroll and step back in time with us to a more elegant era!
Most of these abandoned malls exist as ghost towns, if they continue to exist at all. Take a peek inside some abandoned malls and learn the history of their demise.
In the spirit of reminiscing, we’ve collected 50 photos of some of the most memorable mall stores from the heyday of shopping centers in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Indoor malls might be fading, but what hasn’t faded is our fondness for this vintage relic. Take a nostalgia trip back with us to some of the best indoor malls of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Nestled between the spectacular Maui coastline and the rolling green hills of a lush pineapple plantation was Maui’s luxurious original Kapalua Bay Hotel and Bay Villas. Take a look back!
With these vintage Disneyland tickets, visitors could enjoy their choice of dozens of Disneyland rides and attractions in Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland and Adventureland.
Take a look back to see what food shopping used to be like in these photos of vintage 1960s supermarkets – scenes of shoppers, checkouts, storefronts & more!
To this day, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York on March 25, 1911, remains the deadliest industrial disaster in the city’s history,
Look back to the ’70s and ’80s at vintage Sea World San Diego, when Shamu the Killer Whale was the ocean-themed amusement park’s star attraction.
When long-distance travel was a novelty, travelers were sure to send plenty of postcards to the folks back home, Here, see 15 different postcards views of Portland, Oregon, as it appeared in the the late ’30s and early ’40s.
Samuel Colt’s Connecticut mansion also known as Armsmear, was built on a huge plot of land owned by the inventor of the famous gun. See what this grand and spacious Victorian home was like in its heyday!
What did old New York look like years ago, after night fell? Here’s a peek at the ‘city that never sleeps’ as it appeared by the light of the moon, the stars… and the skyscrapers.
Take a glimpse into what the famous old Macy’s department store looked like just over a hundred years ago – and how it offered its customers a shopping experience like no other.
One of the most beautiful – and most imaginative – passenger centers in the world was unveiled when Trans World Airlines opened its iconic sixties modernist masterpiece – the TWA Terminal at JFK airport in New York. See it being built here, and how it looked in the early days.
From the middle of the destruction after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, these detailed accounts of the damage were published in the city’s newspaper the very next morning.
The important events described here were the beginning of the end of the Civil War, though the official declaration was signed on May 10, 1865.
Gorgeous, graceful old-fashioned decorative iron porches & balconies, crafted from intricate metalwork, adorn many homes and other buildings in the Southern states. Here, take a look back at some stunning examples!
Through this rare collection of photographs and other ephemera, see what New York’s classically elegant old Ritz-Carlton Hotel was like once upon a time, starting when it opened in 1911.
See how old El Paso, Texas — the city that sits right along the border of Mexico and the state of New Mexico – looked more than 100 years ago, when the population was about a tenth of what it is now.
Originally envisioned as a beer garden, this Florida destination has grown and grown. Here, see what the famous vintage Busch Gardens amusement park was like from the 1950s right through to the 1990s.
Come take a stroll through these gated gardens, and lose yourself in another era. These photos show how the walled gardens at Gray Gardens in East Hampton, New York looked in the year 1916.
The Apotheosis of Washington fresco was added to Washington DC’s Capitol Dome by artist Constantino Brumidi during the Civil War. He started the job when he was nearly 60 years old. See it here!
If you’ve ever wondered what it might have been like to walk the streets of a major US city a century ago, here, take a peek at the streets of old Washington DC as they were back in the twenties.
Look back at the experience passengers in the thirties, forties, fifties and sixties could expect when they sailed the high seas in high style on these fabulous old cruise ships.
These vintage images of the 19th century San Francisco skyline vividly portray how the California city by the Bay changed over a few short decades in the 1800s. Take a look back at how the city grew and grew and grew.
Building the Statue of Liberty took years, and it wasn’t easy! Look behind the scenes into how it was done, plus see close-up shots from renovations.
San Francisco’s great old Sutro Baths was a huge structure with several enormous swimming pools, viewing galleries, museums and more, right next to the Golden Gate. See inside the Victorian marvel here!
When Founding Father Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, newspapers published an account of Franklin’s last illness and death, his obituary, and even the epitaph he wrote for himself.
The Civil War’s bloodiest day: Lee turned back at Antietam (1962) A look back on the centennial, by Merton T. Akers — The Lawrence Gazette
There have been tales of what happened at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota in 1890. Here, see original vintage news reports of the battle, plus a historical review of the events from 1976.;
It’s not often you can discover long-lost information about somewhere like New York City’s PJ Clarke’s saloon/restaurant. How much more could there be left to learn about a piece of living history?
Before vintage Disneyland opened in 1955, Walt Disney said the huge amusement park would be ‘the most fabulous playground on earth.’ See what it looked like!
The HMS Queen Mary ship was a luxurious vintage vessel that, after many years taking travelers around the globe, was permanently docked in Californiaand turned into a tourist attraction and hotel.
Take a trip back to the past – go sightseeing and learn more about what Washington DC was like in the 1950s! The classic tour is here, from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial to the White House.
Monsanto’s Home of the Future at Disneyland – set in the futuristic year 1986 – was built almost entirely of plastic, either alone or in combination with traditional building materials.
From desert sands, to mist-enshrouded rain forests, and snow-mantled mountain peaks to miles of beaches, in the ’60s, you could set your own pace when you visited Washington state.
Here are eight beautiful views of Yellowstone National Park from more than a hundred years ago, as seen by artist Thomas Moran and published in 1875.
Take a look back at how Marine World Africa USA, the huge theme park/zoo located north of San Francisco, looked back when it opened back in 1986!
Journey back to the turn of the century… to another time and another place. The Grand Floridian Beach Resort. An oasis of elegance that’s the first of its kind since the golden age of pleasure travel.
On the top of one of the taller buildings of the time, the Hotel Majestic’s roof garden was where the elite partied back around the turn of the century.
Back in 1871, The Great Chicago Fire killed an estimated 200 to 300 people, destroyed more than three square miles of the city, and left 100,000 people homeless.
What did Vintage Target stores look like? Take a look back here at dozens of in-store pictures from the company’s start in 1962 through the end of the 20th century!
On Pirates of the Caribbean in 1967, the costliest and most technologically-sophisticated amusement park ride ever built, Disneyland evoked the buccaneering past of the Spanish Main.
The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 – the deadliest natural disaster in United States history – after which floods swept thousands of people to their death, and many more left homeless as millions of dollars worth of property was destroyed.
1960s California & Los Angeles were a popular vacation destination for folks who wanted sunshine, beaches, and fun — and perhaps a brush with celebrity.
Here, take a look back at old Lake Tahoe – the big, beautiful lake that has been a popular vacation spot for generations.
Famous actor Gary Cooper spent most of his time in sunny California, but he loved snowy Aspen, Colorado so much, he decided to build a house there.
Starting in 1914, there was a lot of hype about Old Gilbert, Arizona, a little town near Phoenix: ‘the fastest growing and most prosperous community in the Southwest.” See how it’s grown!
Even today, there are ships buried under downtown San Francisco that you might walk over, on land reclaimed from the Bay thanks to the Gold Rush.
See what it took to get the Golden Gate Bridge built, plus see dozens of pictures of the construction, and the celebration when it finally opened in 1937.
