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.

February 2025 scheduled lighting events (subject to change)

Friday, January 31, 2025 through Sunday, February 2, 2025 – red/gold – in recognition of the Lunar New Year – the Year of the Snake

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 – red/gold – in recognition of City Hall’s Heritage Month event in celebration of the Lunar New Year – the Year of the Snake

Friday, February 7, 2025 – red/black/green – in recognition of Black History Month

Saturday, February 8, 2025 – red – in recognition of American Heart Month

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 – purple – in recognition of National Cancer Prevention Month

Thursday, February 13 through Sunday, February 16, 2025 – yellow/blue/white/red – in recognition of the NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco

Monday, February 17, 2025 – red/white/blue – in recognition of the President’s Day Holiday

Tuesday, February 18, 2025 – yellow/green/red – in recognition of the National Day of Lithuania (Please note: the actual date of Lithuania’s National Day is February 16.)

Sunday, February 23, 2025 – white/red – in recognition of the National Day of Japan

Monday, February 24, 2025 – blue/black/white – in recognition of the National Day of Estonia

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – red/black/green – in recognition of the Black History Month Closing Ceremony

Friday, February 28, 2025 – green/pink/blue/purple – in recognition of Rare Disease Day

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