Moscone Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moscone Center |
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Colored flags outside Moscone Center
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| Address | 747 Howard St. San Francisco, CA 94103 |
| Location | San Francisco, California |
| Coordinates | 37°47′03″N 122°24′06″W / 37.784173°N 122.401557°W |
| Owner | City and County of San Francisco |
| Operator | SMG |
| Built | 1981 (Moscone South) |
| Architect |
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| Opened | 1981 |
| Expanded |
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Construction cost
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| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | over 2,000,000 sq ft (190,000 m2)[1] |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 1,500,000 sq ft (140,000 m2)[2] |
| • Breakout/meeting |
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| Parking | Pay parking nearby |
| Public transit access |
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The George R. Moscone Convention Center, often called the Moscone Center, is a very large place for meetings and shows in San Francisco, California. It has three main buildings spread across three city blocks. The center first opened in 1981. It is named after George Moscone, who was the mayor of San Francisco.
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History of the Moscone Center
The Moscone Center was built in an area of San Francisco called South of Market. Before the center was built, many people who lived there had to move.
George Moscone, who the center is named after, was first against building it. He worried about the people who would lose their homes. But later, as mayor, he worked with people on both sides. They found a way to build the center that everyone could agree on. The idea was put to a vote in 1976 and most people supported it.
The first part of the Moscone Center opened in 1981. It was designed by architects from Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum. The main exhibition hall was built underground. This was done to make the building seem smaller from the outside.
The Moscone Center was even shown in the 1995 movie The Net, starring Sandra Bullock.
Over the years, the center grew bigger. Moscone North and Moscone West were added in 1992 and 2003. These additions greatly increased the space for exhibitions.
Moscone North and South were also updated in 2012. A big expansion project was finished in 2018. This project made the center even more modern and spacious.
Moscone Center Facilities
The Moscone Center has three main parts:
- Moscone South is a three-story building. It opened in 2017, replacing the first Moscone Center building. Outside, you can see a sculpture by the famous artist Keith Haring.
- Moscone North is located across the street from Moscone South.
- Moscone West is another large building with three levels for exhibitions. It is across 4th Street from Moscone North.
Moscone North and South are connected in two ways. There is a bridge over Howard Street for people to walk across. They are also connected by a huge underground exhibition hall. This hall goes beneath Yerba Buena Gardens and the Metreon entertainment center. Together, Moscone North and South have a lot of space for shows, two large ballrooms, and many meeting rooms.
In 2004, a large solar power system was put on the roof of the center. This was a big step for San Francisco to use more clean energy. The solar panels cover a huge area and help power the center. This system, along with other energy-saving efforts, creates enough energy to power many homes.
The Moscone Center is in a great spot in San Francisco. It is close to many hotels and restaurants. It is also easy to get to using public transportation. The Powell Street station is just two blocks away, with trains like BART and Muni Metro. Soon, the Yerba Buena/Moscone station will make it even easier to reach the center by Muni Metro. Many different workers and organizations help run the Moscone Center, making sure everything works smoothly for big events.
Events at the Moscone Center
The Moscone Center hosts many big events every year. For example, in one recent season, it held 74 events with over a million visitors!
Many professional groups hold their yearly meetings here, such as:
- American Bar Association annual meeting
- Dreamforce (since 2005)
- Game Developers Conference (since 2007)
- Oracle OpenWorld (since 1997)
- Pacific Coast Builders Conference
- RSA Conference (since 2007)
- SEMICON West (since 1992)
- Winter Fancy Food Show
The center also hosts public events like the SF Auto Show and the Fancy Foods Show.
Some big events that used to be held at the Moscone Center include:
- American Geophysical Union fall meeting (until 2016)
- Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (2003–2016)
- Google I/O (2008–2015)
- JavaOne (1997–2009, 2017)
- Macworld/iWorld (1985–2014)
- Microsoft Build (2013–2016)
- VMworld (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012–2015, 2019)
- West Coast Computer Faire (1984–1991)
- WonderCon (2003–2011)
Other important events held here have included:
- The 1984 Democratic National Convention, where Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman nominated for Vice President by a major political party.
- The 1987 National Sports Collectors Convention.
- The 1993 World Science Fiction Convention.
- In 2000, President Bill Clinton spoke at the center.
- The 2015 TwitchCon.
- The 2016 NFL Experience.
Images for kids
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Moscone Center at sunset
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The Fortnite Battle Royale booth at the 2018 Game Developers Conference.
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Moscone West during the 2011 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference
See also
In Spanish: Moscone Center para niños
