San Francisco City Hall

You can park in metered spaces on Van Ness, McAllister, Grove, and Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. Civic Center Garage is located on McAllister, between Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place and Larkin.

Bike parking is available on nearby sidewalks.

Wheelchair-accessible entrances are located on Van Ness Avenue and Grove Street.  Please note the wheelchair lift at the Goodlett Place/Polk Street is temporarily not available.  After multiple repairs that were followed by additional breakdowns, the wheelchair lift at the Goodlett/Polk entrance is being replaced for improved operation and reliability.  We anticipate having a functioning lift after the completion of construction in May 2025.  There are elevators and accessible restrooms located on every floor.

You must enter City Hall through the Goodlett entrance (Polk Street) or the loading dock on Grove Street if you are carrying any of the following: 

• Backpacks
• Gym bags
• Sealed items
• Drawstring bags
• Large camera cases

You must enter through the loading dock on Grove Street if you are carrying any bag larger than 11" x 17" x 7".

Your bag will be screened or inspected by a member of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department before you can enter City Hall. See a list of items and activities prohibited inside City Hall.

The San Francisco City Hall Docents provide guided tours to the public. The tours are about an hour long and are currently offered on Fridays at 11am and 1pm.

Booking

Call 415-554-6139 for a reservation, or sign up for a tour at the Docent Tour kiosk (located in the Goodlett Lobby). 

Groups over 8 people need to make a reservation in advance. 

Cost

There is a fee for private groups of 8 people or more. There is no charge for school groups from elementary to high school level.

Volunteer

To volunteer to be a City Hall Docent, call 415-554-6139. Orientation / training sessions are available on an individual basis. All sessions are 1 hour in length.

Additional information

• City Hall Photo and Facts Tour
• City Hall School Tour Fun Book

December 2024 scheduled lighting events (subject to change)

City Hall will be lit in special lighting on the following days in December 2024:

Sunday, December 1, 2024 – red – in recognition of World AIDS Day

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 – purple – in recognition of International Day of People with Disabilities 

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – red/green – in recognition of the Civic Center Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

Saturday, December 7 through Monday, December 9, 2024 – red/green – in recognition of the Holiday Season

Tuesday, December 10 through Thursday, December 12, 2025 – red/gold – The SF 49ers will play the LA Rams at Levis Stadium on Thursday, December 12, 2024.

NBC Thursday Night Football will be shooting B-roll of San Francisco Tuesday, December 10 through Thursday, December 12, 2024; the B-roll will be used during the Thursday Night Football Broadcast. 

Friday, December 13, 2024 – white/red – in recognition of the National Day of Malta

Saturday December 14 - blue/orange - in recognition of Balboa High School playing for the State Championship.

Sunday, December 15 through Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – red/green – in recognition of the Holiday Season

Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – blue – in recognition of the First Night of Hanukkah

Thursday, December 26, 2024 – red/green/black – in recognition of the First Night of Kwanzaa

Friday, December 27 through Tuesday, December 31, 2024 – red/green – in recognition of the Holiday Season

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 – gold – Happy New Year! 😊

Learn more about City Hall's exterior lighting and see past lighting schedules.

City Hall is available for weekday wedding rentals as well as for full evening events on weekdays and weekends. For information on private rentals, visit the San Francisco City Hall Events page or call 415-554-6079.

Known as the People’s Palace, San Francisco City Hall is the seat of government for the City and County of San Francisco. It is also a destination historic landmark, frequently visited by tourists and photographers. Themed colored LEDs light up the building at night.

The City Hall you see today took two years to build. Steel, granite, and four floors of white marble interiors make up San Francisco's symbol of resilience, built after the previous City Hall was destroyed in the Great Earthquake and Fire of April 18, 1906. 

Civic leaders were determined to demonstrate the city's rebirth in time for the start of the World's Fair of 1915. Designed by architect Arthur Brown, Jr. and begun in 1913, natives and the world were suitably awed by the gilt exterior detailing, the sweeping grand staircase, and the massive dome. At 307 feet in height, the dome is a full 42 feet taller than the dome of the nation's capitol.

During the past century, the building has seen major political upheavals and demographic shifts in the makeup of its legislators. City Hall is often a focus of drama: the tragic assassinations of 1979; and jubilation, when same-sex marriages were first performed in 2004. Once the repository of records and a site for smaller courts, current debates and decisions about labor, land use, and public policy issues take place inside on a regular basis. City Hall has been a location for movies from Dirty Harry and Indiana Jones to Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

An earthquake of 7.1 magnitude struck on October 17, 1989 and damaged City Hall severely enough that the dome itself moved four full inches. Repair and restoration, completed in 1999, included an earthquake safety enhancement called a base isolator system. This absorbs shocks and movement at the foundation, protecting the structure above.

For decades, adjusting the tint of the exterior lights required walking through legislators' offices to change the colored gels by hand. Starting in 2016, a computer-controlled LED lighting system adds themed colors to the plaza façade with some energy savings. City Hall is still a favorite site for weddings, and cheers regularly echo through the rotunda.

Learn more about the exhibits on display in City Hall.

The City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission's mission is to:

• Ensure that the maintenance and operation of City Hall is consistent with its stature and dignity as a national landmark and as the seat of City government
• Assure that the building is a welcoming place for all people
• Promote the understanding of its history and cultural values

See previous website archived August 2022.