San Francisco City Hall, Government building in Civic Center, United States
San Francisco City Hall is a Beaux-Arts government building occupying two city blocks in the Civic Center. Its light grey Madera County granite facade is centered on a dome 307.5 feet (93.7 m) high and 112 feet (34 m) in diameter, topped by a colonnaded lantern and spire. A triangular pediment with sculpture by Henri Crenier sits above tall columns and three arched entrances.
The current building was constructed after the devastating 1906 earthquake destroyed the previous structure and was completed in 1915. Its opening coincided with the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which marked the city's recovery and return to prominence.
The rotunda has hosted state funerals, including that of Frederick Funston in 1917, and Warren G. Harding lay in state there in 1923. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe married at City Hall in 1954. Bronze busts of George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein and Harvey Milk recall the 1978 assassinations; Milk's bust was unveiled on May 22, 2008.
The building is open to visitors on most days, and tours are available, though times vary depending on the day. It is best to arrive early and be aware of security checkpoints at the entrances, especially when sessions or events are taking place.
The dome rests on eight steel girders, four weighing 50 tons and four 20 tons, each 9 ft deep and 60 ft long. The building used 7,900 tons of structural steel from the American Bridge Company of Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Much of the statuary is by sculptor Henri Crenier.
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