Neighborhood
Civic Center & Tenderloin
The Main Library, the Asian Art Museum and Civic Center Plaza.
The Main Library of the San Francisco Public Library opened on its current site at 100 Larkin Street, between Fulton and Grove streets, on April 18, 1996. The building has seven floors and 376,000 square feet. The Children’s Center is on the 2nd floor, and the library also runs The Mix, a space for teens.
The Helen Diller Playgrounds at Civic Center opened on February 14, 2018. San Francisco Recreation and Parks built them for families and children of different ages, including those from nearby neighborhoods with little open space such as the Tenderloin. Civic Center/UN Plaza Station, at 1150 Market Street, is the BART stop for the area, and the 5 Fulton bus stops on McAllister Street at Hyde and Leavenworth streets. A morning in the library’s Children’s Center pairs well with an hour at the playgrounds by City Hall’s plaza, both a short walk from the BART station.
Sources: SFPL Main Library fact sheet, SFPL Main Library, SF Rec & Park, Helen Diller Playgrounds, BART Civic Center, SFMTA 5 Fulton.
About Civic Center & Tenderloin
The Main Library and the Asian Art Museum face Civic Center Plaza, across from City Hall, and host some of the city's best free events for families.
Our neighborhood lines are based on DataSF's Analysis Neighborhoods, where this area is part of the Tenderloin.
What to See
San Francisco City Hall
Open to the public Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, with a security screening at the door and a ground-floor art gallery run by the Arts Commission. Closed weekends and holidays.
Asian Art Museum
Large museum of Asian art facing Civic Center Plaza. Open Thursday 1 to 8 pm and Friday through Monday 10 am to 5 pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. General admission is free on the first Sunday of each month.
San Francisco Main Library
Central library with a second-floor Children’s Center that offers family story times, a Play-to-Learn space and nursing pods. Closed Mondays.
Civic Center Plaza
National Historic Landmark plaza facing City Hall, with grass on the north and south sides and BART and Muni stations nearby. It is quiet on weekdays and a gathering place on weekends, with free events on the Rec and Park calendar.
Things to Do
Helen Diller Civic Center Playgrounds
Two renovated playgrounds that opened in 2018, designed for children of different ages and sited near the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum. They make an easy break between museum and library stops.
Where to Eat
Saigon Sandwich
Counter-service banh mi shop on Larkin Street with a short menu of roast pork, roast chicken, meatball, pate and tofu sandwiches. Sandwiches run around $5 to $6.
Upcoming in Civic Center & Tenderloin
Civic Center Soundtrack: Free Lunchtime Concerts (Tue & Thu, Through October)
Japanese New Year Bell-Ringing Ceremony
Guides
SF Ballet Nutcracker 2026 (Dec 4–27): Dates, Times, Kids and Getting There
San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker 2026: all 35 performances from 4 to 27 December at the War Memorial Opera House, age rules, run…
Read the guide →San Francisco Pride 2027: Dates, Parade Route and the Civic Center Celebration
San Francisco Pride 2027 is 26–27 June. The parade along Market Street, the free Civic Center celebration, the bag and alcohol rules,…
Read the guide →Day Trips from San Francisco Without a Car: Sausalito, Muir Woods, Napa
Car-free day trips from San Francisco: the ferry to Sausalito, Muir Woods reservations and fees, Angel Island, Alcatraz booking and getting to…
Read the guide →Recently Closed or Moved
1 place in Civic Center & Tenderloin has closed, moved or changed name. Each one keeps a page saying what happened, when, and where that was checked.
- Fermentation Lab RENAMED