Since the 1800s, Civic Center has been the hub of culture, government and urban public spaces in San Francisco. The City’s history is deeply ingrained in the fabric of Civic Center, where cultural, civic, and ceremonial events have played out in these prominent spaces.
The first San Francisco City Hall was built in 1871 in Civic Center on Larkin at Grove, but laid in ruins after the 1906 Earthquake. Upon its rebuilding, it was moved to its current location, where it was rebuilt in the Beaux-Arts style and reopened to the public in 1915.
Marches, memorials, parades and protests — the public has long come together in trials and tribulations, as well as in joy and celebration, in Civic Center. From neighborhood-specific matters to international happenings, the public comes here to unite their voices behind issues personal to them. More history coming soon!