Union Square, Plaza with shopping district in downtown San Francisco, United States

Union Square is a 2.6-acre public plaza in downtown San Francisco, bounded by Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton streets. At its center stands the Dewey Monument: an 85-foot light gray stone column on a stepped base, topped by a 9-foot dark statue of Nike holding a trident. A circular granite curb is set into the patterned pavement around the base, among small trees, benches and paved walkways.

The square received its name in 1850 following pro-Union gatherings held on the eve of the Civil War. Since then the surrounding area has grown into one of the city's main commercial centers with many shops and hotels.

The name comes from pro-Union rallies led by Thomas Starr King before and during the Civil War. Each winter the square hosts an ice skating rink and a Christmas tree; since 2009 painted heart sculptures from Hearts in San Francisco have stood at its four corners. The Dewey Monument's Nike was modeled on Alma de Bretteville, a Danish-American stenographer and artist's model.

The Powell Street BART and MUNI Metro station sits directly at the plaza and connects to several lines across the network. Visitors coming from outside the area will find links to different neighborhoods and major sights here.

The garage beneath the plaza, designed by Timothy Pflueger and built between 1939 and 1941, was the world's first underground parking garage. It put the lawns, shrubs and the Dewey Monument on its roof. The 1998 renovation plans added more levels to it.