Boston’s iconic landmarks go 3D in latest Apple Maps update

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Apple Maps brought its detailed city experience to Boston Thursday, offering local users a host of new features.

From Union Oyster House’s neon lights to Fenway Park’s famed red seat, Apple’s latest Maps update puts Boston’s iconic sights at the forefront. 

Apple Maps is rolling out its “detailed city experience” in Boston throughout the afternoon Thursday, with features including enhanced navigation, 3D landmarks, and a moonlit nighttime mode.

Users in Boston will now be able to see road markings, trees, elevation, and notable buildings rendered in meticulous detail for a more realistic sense of place. Maps also offers a windshield view to better reflect what drivers see on the road and indicate, for example, the best lane for an upcoming exit. 

Apple has spent the past couple of years launching its detailed map experience in major cities around the world, building on the redesigned Apple Maps it finished rolling out in the U.S. in January 2020. 

When the detailed city experience came to London, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 2021, Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue described the work as a continuation of the company’s goal to “build the best and most accurate map in the world.”

“With this update, we are pushing Maps even further, providing more ways for users to discover the natural beauty of the world and explore cities through a new 3D view,” Cue said at the time. 

The latest Apple Maps upgrades illustrate just how far the platform has come in the decade since its launch, when Maps infamously gave users inaccurate driving directions and bizarre images — including roads onto the Zakim Bridge that appeared to be melting, according to a 2012 Boston.com article.