For a more in-depth look at San Francisco City Hall, you can take a complimentary teaching tour Monday through Friday. The San Francisco City Guides also offer free walking tours that include City Hall and the Civic Center area. You can skip the tour and wander around without an escort to see exactly what you would like. The ground floor of City Hall houses frequent art exhibits presented by the San Francisco Art Commission. Check current exposures. Weddings are a big deal here, and chances are you’ll see a wedding party snapping photos inside and outside of this architectural marvel.
Town Hall of History and Trivia
San Francisco is one of the largest small cities in the world. Covering a total area of forty-nine square miles and less than a million residents, its city hall dome is nearly a foot taller than the United States Capitol, and is considered one of the finest examples of classical architecture in the country. .
During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, City Hall collapsed into rubble. On April 15, 1913, Mayor “Sunny Jim” Rolph began construction on San Francisco’s sixth City Hall. It took three years and $ 3.5 million to build. In 1989, a major earthquake struck again. This time, the City Council remained standing, but it was deemed seismically unsafe. The city completed a $ 293 million upgrade and seismic modernization in 1998.
The resurrected city hall was officially reopened on January 5, 1999. While the building regained its original beauty, the project was not just a cosmetic restoration. To insulate it from the shock of the next ‘big’, engineers installed 530 lead rubber insulators that act as massive buffers, making City Hall the largest insulated building with a base in the world. Every feature of the building, from the rotunda with its imposing staircase and Mongolian mahogany paneling, the supervisor’s chambers were restored to the original design.
Many newsworthy events occurred at City Hall, but one of the strangest happened in the summer of 1923. President Warren G. Harding was in Alaska when he received a message that prompted a swift return to Washington. Upon arriving in San Francisco, he became ill and died on August 2, 1923. The official cause of death is unknown because his wife refused to allow an autopsy. Some say it was a heart attack, stroke, or pneumonia, but one of the more colorful theories is that his wife was fed up with his extramarital affairs and poisoned him.
Whatever the cause of death, Harding’s body lay in state at City Hall.
Many people have gotten married here, but one of the most famous marriages was Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe.
In 1978, former City Supervisor Dan White assassinated Mayor Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk. There was a long political history that led to the assassination. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in San Francisco, and much has been written about the significance of his election and his death.
Among others, the San Francisco City Council has appeared in these films: “A View to a Kill”, “Class Action”, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, “Jagged Edge”, “Magnum Force”, “Milk”, ” The Rock «and» The Wedding Planner «.
What you need to know about San Francisco City Hall
Open to the public from Monday to Friday during business hours. No admission fee. Reservations are not required. Allow about an hour to roam. Every time it’s open it’s a great time to visit, but tours run on a schedule.
Where is the San Francisco city hall?
San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco City Council website
San Francisco City Hall is located on Van Ness Avenue, a few blocks from its intersection with Market Street.
Using public transportation, take the MUNI bus line 19 or take BART to the Civic Center station.
This article was written in conjunction with Martha Bakerjian
