The first San Francisco Public Library opened in 1879, but the current Main Library was inaugurated in April 1996. It cost $109.5 million and has six floors above ground and one below, more than twice the size of the building it replaced.
San Francisco City Hall // Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
The present San Francisco City Hall was reopened in 1915, replacing an earlier City Hall destroyed during the 1906 earthquake, two blocks from the present one. It features a majestic dome, taller than then the one at the United States Capitol, and a stunning Grand Staircase, making it an architectural icon and a popular event venue.
San Francisco City Hall // Milk
In the movie Milk, the story of American gay activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) is depicted. Harvey Milk fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay elected official. The scene where he delivers a powerful speech to a crowd in Washington D.C. was filmed in front of City Hall.
Van Ness Avenue // A View to a Kill
The domed exterior of City Hall on Van Ness Avenue, modeled after St. Peter's in Rome, has appeared in several films. It was set on fire while filming the Bond movie A View to a Kill. The filmmakers received special permission to fit the balconies with gas jets to simulate the burning of the building.
War Memorial Opera House // Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs is a biographical drama inspired by Walter Isaacson's 2011 biography, spanning fourteen years in the life of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs. The film's narrative unfolds backstage during three iconic product launches: the Macintosh, NeXT Computer, and iMac G3.
Memorial Court // The Rock
Although most of The Rock was filmed on location at Alcatraz Prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, additional locations within the city were also used for filming. The movie follows a chemist and an ex-con who must lead a counterstrike against a rogue group of military personnel threatening a nerve gas attack.
Market Street – Flatiron building // Interview with the Vampire
Market Street, often compared to other iconic streets around the world like the Champs-Élysées, Fifth Avenue, or Broadway, is a major thoroughfare in San Francisco. It stretches from the Ferry Building, built in 1898, to Castro Street, marked by a large rainbow flag.
Grace Cathedral // Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Grace Cathedral was founded in 1849. After the original building was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, a temporary facility was opened in 1907. Construction of the current neo-Gothic cathedral began in 1927 and was completed in 1964. The cathedral is renowned for its stained glass windows, labyrinths, mosaics created by Jan Henryk De Rosen, and its Ghiberti Doors, which replicate the baptismal doors from Florence.
Brocklebank Apartments // Vertigo
The Brocklebank Apartments, built in 1926 by the architectural firm Weeks and Day, were one of four buildings the firm built on Nob Hill during the 1920s.
Russ Building - Joe & The Juice // The Matrix resurrection
The Matrix resurrection returns to a world of two realities: one is everyday life, and the other lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a construct and to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson must once again choose to follow the white rabbit.
