San Francisco’s Civic Center neighborhood is centered between Franklin, Market, Leavenworth and Turk streets, with a large portion of the neighborhood’s businesses and government offices along Van Ness Avenue. Civic Center assets include City Hall, UN Plaza, and cultural institutions such as the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and Orpheum Theater, among others.

Visitor Tips


Visitor FAQs

If you’re interested in getting married at City Hall, visit the Office of the County Clerk page of the City site for more information.

March 2024 scheduled lighting events (subject to change)

Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3, 2024 – red/white/blue – in recognition of early voting at City Hall for the March 5, 2024 Consolidated Presidential Primary Election

Monday, March 4, 2024 – purple – in recognition of Women’s History Month

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – red/white/blue – in recognition of Election Day

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 – green – in recognition of the Mayor’s Office Flag Raising Ceremony for the National Day of Ireland and the 40th Anniversary of the San Francisco-Cork Sister City relationship

Thursday, March 7, 2024 – blue/green/red – in recognition of Festival of Napa Valley’s awarding of their “Angel of the Arts” award to Gordon Getty

Friday, March 8, 2024 – purple/green/white – in recognition of International Women’s Day

Saturday, March 9, 2024 – green/yellow/pink – in recognition of “Tulip Day” in Union Square; an activity that is part of the “Union Square in Bloom” Campaign

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 – orange – in recognition of World Kidney Day

Thursday, March 14, 2024 – blue – in recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Saturday, March 16, 2024 – green – in recognition of San Francisco’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Sunday, March 17, 2024 – green – in recognition of St. Patrick’s Day

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 – red/white/green – in recognition of Nowruz

Friday, March 22, 2024 – red/white/green – in recognition of the Nowruz Gala at City Hall

Sunday, March 24, 2024 – red – in recognition of World TB Day

Monday, March 25, 2024 – blue/white – in recognition of the National Day of Greece

Friday, March 29, 2024 – green – in recognition of the Ramadan Iftar Dinner at City Hall

Sunday, March 31, 2024 – blue/pink/white/pink/blue – in recognition of Transgender Day of Visibility

You can find the latest information on City Hall’s color schedule on the City Hall Lighting Calendar via the SFGov site, scroll down to “Lighting schedule.”

There is an extensive array of cafes, coffee shops and restaurants from casual fare to fine dining, visit the shopping & dining portion of the Activities & Events page to find a specific place to grab a bite.

Anytime is a good time to visit! Museums, government buildings and cultural institutions are open year round. Outdoor events hosted by the Civic Center Community Benefit District and the Civic Center Initiative tend to occur in Summer, Fall and the holiday season; see our events calendar for more of what’s happening soon.

MUNI bus lines serving Civic Center include Bus Numbers: 5-Fulton, 21-Hayes, 31-Balboa, 47-Van Ness, and 49-Van Ness/Mission.

The MUNI Metro Subway includes all lines (J, K, L, M, N) serving both the Civic Center and Van Ness Stations. For up-to-date route and schedule information contact MUNI at (415) 701-2311 or dial 311 within San Francisco.

BART lines serve the nearby “Civic Center” station at Market and Eighth Streets. For schedule information please contact BART at (415) 989-2278.

North Bay: The Civic Center area is also served by Golden Gate Transit (415) 455-2000

South Bay: Sam Trans (800 660-4287) runs many buses from the South Bay. Cal Train riders may call 800-660-4287 for service information.

East Bay: From the East Bay riders can take AC Transit (dial 511 anywhere in the Bay Area) to the Transbay Terminal, on Mission Street between First and Fremont Streets, and transfer to MUNI lines such as the No. 5 Bus.

See more on our Directions, Parking & Transit page.


Civic Center Maps

Public Spaces Download PDF