Philadelphia on When It Was is 22 addresses and the 38 businesses that have occupied them, the oldest from 1773. None of them are still open; 38 are gone, and 12 of the buildings themselves have been demolished. Every entry below opens a page with the full history of that address, and the map lets you slide the year and watch the city change.
Start here
Strawbridge & Clothier
Eastern State Penitentiary
City Tavern
Divine Lorraine Hotel
John Wanamaker Store
Stanley Theatre
Uptown Theatre
Boyd Theatre
Philadelphia, decade by decade
- 1770s
- 1820s
- 1850s
- 1860s
- 1870s
- 1880s
- 1890s5 opened — Gimbels, Lit Brothers, Old Original Bookbinder's, Divine Lorraine Hotel, and 1 moreSee the map in 1895 →
- 1900s5 opened — The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, Keith's Theatre, Horn & Hardart Automat, Metropolitan Opera House, and 1 moreSee the map in 1905 →
- 1910s
- 1920s7 opened — JFK Stadium, Boyd Theatre, Benjamin Franklin Hotel, Mastbaum Theatre, and 3 moreSee the map in 1925 →
- 1930s
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1990s
Still here, and gone
Gone (38)
- John Wanamaker Store 1876–2025
- City Tavern 1773–2020
- Trocadero Theatre 1870–2019
- Electric Factory 1995–2018
- Little Pete's 1978–2017
- Downey's Irish Pub 1976–2016
- Snockey's Oyster and Crab House 1912–2015
- Le Bec-Fin 1970–2013
- The Spectrum 1967–2009
- Old Original Bookbinder's 1893–2009
- Striped Bass 1994–2008
- Zanzibar Blue 1990–2007
By kind of place
Theater (8)
South Philadelphia Drive-In · Trocadero Theatre · Boyd Theatre · Keith's Theatre · Mastbaum Theatre · Earle Theatre · Uptown Theatre · Stanley Theatre
Restaurant (7)
The Frog · Le Bec-Fin · Old Original Bookbinder's · Striped Bass · Horn & Hardart Automat · Snockey's Oyster and Crab House · Levis Hot Dogs
Department Store (4)
Strawbridge & Clothier · Gimbels · Lit Brothers · John Wanamaker Store
Stadium (3)
Veterans Stadium · JFK Stadium · Connie Mack Stadium
Hotel (3)
The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel · Benjamin Franklin Hotel · Divine Lorraine Hotel
Arena (1)
Jazz Club (1)
Concert Venue (1)
Every place in Philadelphia (22)
- Boyd Theatre 242 Chestnut Street · 1928–2002 · 5 businesses
- Broad Street Station 15th Street and Market Street · 1881–1952
- City Tavern 1020 South 2nd Street · 1773–2020 · 2 businesses
- Connie Mack Stadium 2001 West Lehigh Avenue · 1909–1970
- Divine Lorraine Hotel 858 North Broad Street · 1894–1999 · 2 businesses
- Downey's Irish Pub 526 South Front Street · 1976–2016
- Earle Theatre 1046 Market Street · 1924–1953
- Eastern State Penitentiary 2027 Fairmount Avenue · 1829–1971
- Electric Factory 421 North 7th Street · 1995–2018
- John Wanamaker Store 2000 Market Street · 1876–2025 · 2 businesses
- Le Bec-Fin 125 Walnut Street · 1970–2013 · 3 businesses
- Levis Hot Dogs 507 South 6th Street · 1895–1992
- Little Pete's 219 South 17th Street · 1978–2017
- Palumbo's 824 Catherine Street · 1884–1994
- Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center 3400 Civic Center Boulevard · 1931–2005
- Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry 14600 Roosevelt Boulevard · 1911–1990
- Stanley Theatre 1124 Market Street · 1921–1970
- Strawbridge & Clothier 901 Market Street · 1868–2006 · 3 businesses
- The Frog 1524 Locust Street · 1973–2002
- The Spectrum 200 South Broad Street · 1967–2009 · 6 businesses
- Trocadero Theatre 1003 Arch Street · 1870–2019
- Uptown Theatre 2240 N Broad Street · 1929–1978
Know Philadelphia? Add a place we’re missing, an old photo, or a correction — it takes a minute on the map.
Add a place in Philadelphia