SFO Civic Center

San Francisco Civic Center

The Civic Center in San Francisco, California, is an area of a few blocks north of the intersection of Market Street and Van Ness Avenue that contains many of the city's largest government and cultural institutions. 

It has two large plazas (Civic Center Plaza and United Nations Plaza) and a number of buildings in classical architectural style. The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (formerly the Exposition Auditorium), the United Nations Charter was signed in the War Memorial Veterans Building's Herbst Theatre in 1945, leading to the creation of the United Nations. It is also where the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco (the peace treaty that officially ended the Pacific War with the Empire of Japan, which had surrendered in 1945) was signed. 

The San Francisco Civic Center was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 1978.

San Francisco’s Civic Center is located in the heart of the city, and contains many of San Francisco’s largest government and cultural organizations. Many of the buildings are built in the classical architecture style, giving the plaza a regal look and feel. Civic Center Plaza contains a vast amount of the city’s history, designating it a National Historic Landmark. The large, open plaza is a peaceful center for busy commuters and workers during the week and is a cultural hub during the weekends.