Clio review (2026): free guide to historic sites near you
Short answer
Clio - Your Guide to History, by the nonprofit Clio Foundation, is a free map of US landmarks, museums and historic sites near you, with images, video, audio and text about what happened around you, written mostly by museum professionals, scholars and their students, with hundreds of new entries each month. It is free (donations), on iPhone, Android and the web, and well rated (4.9 from 101 App Store ratings). It scores 4.5/10 as a way to learn history (#8 of 12) and passes 3 of 5 Timeline Test questions: excellent for local history and trips, but it has no lessons, quizzes or path. Pair it with a course: Aurelius (our app) scores 9.2/10.
Best for Finding historic sites and museums near you in the US
Clio - Your Guide to History
Clio Foundation (nonprofit)
Our score: limited, #8 of 12
- Design 1
- Path 1
- Sources 5
- Depth 5
- Price 10
- Platforms 10
- Ratings 8
How the score works · inputs verified October 20, 2026
- App Store (US)
- 4.9 from 101 ratings
- Google Play (US)
- 4.3 from 114 reviews, 10K+ downloads
- Price (US)
- Free (donations)
- What's free
- Everything, free
- Platforms
- iPhone/iPad, Android, web
- Age rating
- 4+ (App Store)
- Languages
- English
- Facts read on
- October 20, 2026
The Timeline Test: Clio passes 3 of 5
- ✗ Does it teach history in order?
- ✗ Is there a quiz right after every lesson?
- ✓ Does it show sources or say who checks the facts?
- ✓ Are the lessons written by people, not generated by AI?
- ✓ Is the price clear?
Our five-question check, answered from the app's own listing. How the Timeline Test works.
What's good
- Free, nonprofit, donations only
- Content mostly by museum professionals, scholars and their students
- Location-based: history around you, with images, video and audio
- iPhone, Android and website; runs on iOS 13
Watch out for
- A guide, not a course: no lessons or quizzes
- Focused on American history
- Listed under Travel on the App Store
We make Aurelius. This review uses Clio's App Store and Google Play listings, read October 20, 2026.
What is Clio?
"Clio picks up your present location and guides you to landmarks, museums, and historic sites." It "acts as a virtual time machine" with images, videos, audio and text about events that happened near you. "Museum professionals, scholars, and their students contribute most of Clio's content", with local history experts and museum volunteers, and "several hundred new entries and improvements" each month. The Clio Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity.
Price
Free; Clio is funded by donations. No in-app purchases on the US App Store.
Score: 4.5/10
| Criterion (weight) | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Learning design (22%) | 1 | No lessons or quizzes: a guide |
| Chronological path (22%) | 1 | Organized by place, not time |
| Sources and accuracy (17%) | 5 | Written by scholars and museum professionals |
| History depth (12%) | 5 | History only |
| Price and clarity (10%) | 10 | Free |
| Platforms (10%) | 10 | iPhone, Android and web |
| Ratings (7%) | 8 | 4.9 from 101 App Store ratings |
Who it is for
Travelers, road-trippers and anyone curious about the history of the place they're standing in, in the US. To learn the big picture first, see the order to learn world history.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clio free?
Yes, completely; it is funded by donations.
Is Clio on Android?
Yes, as "Clio - Discover Nearby History" on Google Play (4.3 from 114 reviews, 10K+ downloads).
Does Clio work outside the US?
Its listing describes "a comprehensive, dynamic, and interactive map of American history".
Is Clio a learning app?
It is a guide to history around you, not a course: there are no lessons or quizzes.
The bottom line
The best free app for history you can visit in the US. For learning history in order, try Aurelius free for 3 days.
Sources
- Clio - Your Guide to History, US App Store listing, and Google Play listing (US), read October 20, 2026.