San Francisco’s City Hall may appear to the layman like any other government building but this monument is so much more. Considered one of the prime examples of classical architecture in the city, this building has been through the most tumultuous times in history.

Akin to a phoenix rising from the ashes, the City Hall building has been through a resurrection of sorts. After the Great Earthquake and Fire in 1906, the original City Hall building was destroyed but the spirit of the city would not crumble as easily. The City Hall that stands before you today was re-built in 1915, standing proud at 307 feet tall, a symbol of the city’s ability to brave the storm. This resolve was tested again decades later in the 1989 earthquake but this time, the difference was that the City Hall proudly remained standing. Following subsequent months of upgrading, it was finally reopened in 1999 and has been in use ever since.

A government building it is, this was the place where some of the most high-profile marriages took place. Among them, there was the marriage of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. This building is no stranger to progression, having been the venue for the start of same-sex marriages in 2004.

Come and see this important monument for yourself, complete with a grand staircase and topped off with a formidable dome!