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.

April 2024 scheduled lighting events (subject to change)

Monday, April 1, 2024 – blue – in recognition of Child Abuse Awareness Month

Thursday, April 4, 2024 – green/blue – in recognition of International OCNDS Awareness Day

Friday, April 5, 2024 – orange – in recognition of the SF Giants 142nd Opening Day

Saturday, April 6, 2024 – green – in recognition of the annual “Heart Your Parks” Campaign

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 – green – in recognition of National Arab Heritage Month and the conclusion of Ramadan 

Friday, April 12, 2024 – blue/green – in recognition of National Donate Life Month

Saturday, April 13, 2024 – blue – in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the International Ocean Film Festival (April 12-14, 2024)

Friday, April 19, 2024 – pink/blue – in recognition of Global Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day
Sunday, April 21, 2024 – red/pink – in recognition of the SF Cherry Blossom Festival and Parade

Monday, April 22, 2024 – green – in recognition of Earth Day 2024

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 – orange – in recognition of National Infertility Awareness Week

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 – red/blue/orange – in recognition of Armenian Genocide Awareness Day

Friday, April 26, 2024 – red/orange/white/pink – in recognition of Lesbian Visibility Week

Saturday, April 27, 2024 – orange – in recognition of “King’s Day”: the National Day of the Netherlands

Monday, April 29, 2024 – green – in recognition of the 35th Anniversary of the Goldman Environmental Prize

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