Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dome are accessible to
the public.
The restored building is
at the center of the Civic Center
complex and is a magnificent
example of the Beaux Arts
style
(see p49)
. There are
allegorical figures evoking
the city's Gold Rush past in
the pediment above the
main Polk Street entrance.
This entrance leads into the
marble-floored Rotunda.
8
Great
American
Music Hall
859 O'Farrell St.
Map
4 F4.
Tel
885-0750.
@
2, 3, 19, 38,
47, 49.
∑
musichallsf.com
Front entrance of War Memorial Opera House, built in 1932
5
War Memorial
Opera House
301 Van Ness Ave.
Map
4 F5.
Tel
621-6600.
@
5, 21, 47, 49.
v
J, K, L, M, N, T.
Civic Center.
7
8
call 861-4008.
∑
sfwmpac.org
signing of the United
Nations Charter
in 1945.
7
City Hall
400 Van Ness Ave.
Map
4 F5.
Tel
554-4000.
@
5, 8, 19,
21, 26, 47, 49.
v
J, K, L, M,
N, T.
Open
8am-5pm
Mon-Fri.
7
8
call
554-6023.
∑
sfgov.org
Built in 1907 as a place
for bawdy comedy
shows, the Great
American Music Hall was
soon in use as a brothel.
Since then, it has become an
excellent performance space,
with a rich interior containing
tall marble columns and
elaborate balconies, adorned
with ornate gilt plasterwork.
The venue is intimate, stylish,
and known throughout the
US, and famous artists such
as Carmen McCrae, B.B. King,
Duke Ellington, the Grateful
Dead, Van Morrison,
and Tom Paxton have
played every kind
of music here, from
blues, jazz, and
folk to rock 'n'
roll. The views
here are good
from almost
every table.
Sign over Great
American Music Hall
Opened in 1932, the War
Memorial Opera House,
designed by Arthur Brown, was
dedicated to the memory of
World War I soldiers. In 1951
it was used for the signing of
the peace treaty between the
US and Japan, marking the
formal end of World War II.
The building is now home to
the San Francisco Opera
(see p252)
.
City Hall, completed in 1915,
just in time for the Panama-
Pacific Exposition
(see pp32-3)
,
was designed by Arthur Brown
when he was at the height of
his career. The original
building was completely
destroyed in the 1906
Earthquake. Its Grand
Baroque dome was
modeled on St.
Peter's Church in
Rome and is
higher than the
US Capitol in
Washington,
DC. The upper
levels of the
6
Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Ave.
Map
4 F5.
Tel
621-6600; Herbst Theater 392-4400.
@
5, 19, 21, 47, 49.
v
J, K, L, M, N, T.
Closed
for renovation until mid-2015.
7
limited.
8
call 552-8338.
∑
sfwmpac.org
Like its almost identical twin,
the War Memorial Opera
House, the multipurpose
Veterans Building was designed
by Arthur Brown and built in
1932 to honor World War I
soldiers. In addition to displays
of historic weapons, there are
showcases of military
memorabilia. The building is
also home to the Herbst
Theater, a 928-seat concert hall
and theater. Because of its
good acoustics, many classical
music recitals are held here.
The theater was the site of the
The imposing façade of the Beaux Arts-style City Hall in the heart of the Civic Center
of San Francisco
