the old iphoto app I guess is 32 bit, now it wont work with Catalina, so how do I access the photos that were on iphoto?????

See: Updating from iPhoto to Photos for macOS – Apple Support

Which version of iPhoto have you been using?

If the version number starts with 7 or less (iPhoto 7.1.5 or so), the library will need to be prepared with the Using the iPhoto Library Upgrader tool - Apple Support , before it can be opened by Photos for Mac.

iPhoto was discontinued more than 4 years ago. It is no longer developed or sold. It was replaced by the more powerful (and free) Photos.app that comes with the OS. You can migrate to that app very simply:

Hold down the option (or alt) key and launch Photos. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and point at your iPhoto Library. It will do the rest.

If you prefer not to use Photos there are several 3rd party apps that you can use. Which to choose depends on the kind of photographer you are and your budget.