Moscone Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moscone Center |
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Colored flags outside the Moscone Center
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| Address | 747 Howard Street San Francisco, California 94103 |
| Coordinates | 37°47′03″N 122°24′06″W / 37.784173°N 122.401557°W |
| Owner | City and County of San Francisco |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| 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 Moscone Center is a huge building in San Francisco, California. It's the biggest place in the city for large meetings and shows! It has three main parts, called halls, spread over three city blocks. That's a lot of space!
The center first opened in 1981. It's named after George Moscone, who used to be the mayor of San Francisco and passed away tragically in 1978.
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History of the Moscone Center
Before the Moscone Center was built, the area was home to many people. There were some disagreements about building such a large center. George Moscone, as mayor, helped find a solution that everyone could agree on.
The first part of the Moscone Center opened in 1981. It was designed by a team of architects. They built the main exhibition hall underground. This helped make the huge building seem smaller from the outside.
The Moscone Center has grown over the years. More parts, called Moscone North and Moscone West, were added in 1992 and 2003. These additions made the center much bigger, adding more space for exhibits.
In 2012, Moscone North and South got a big makeover. Then, an even larger expansion project finished in 2018. This project made the center even more modern and spacious.
Since 2020, the Moscone Center has faced challenges in filling its schedule. Many events that used to happen there have changed their plans. Some groups have decided not to return to San Francisco. This is partly because of high costs and concerns about the city's streets.
Exploring the Moscone Center Facilities
The Moscone Center has three main parts, or halls:
- Moscone South is a three-story building. It opened in 2017, replacing the very first Moscone Center building. Outside, you can see a cool sculpture by an artist named Keith Haring.
- Moscone North is located across the street from Moscone South.
- Moscone West is another three-level hall, just a short walk from Moscone North.
Moscone North and South are connected in a few ways. There's a bridge over Howard Street for people to walk across. They are also connected by a huge underground exhibition hall. This underground area stretches far beneath Yerba Buena Gardens and the Metreon entertainment center.
Green Energy at the Center
The Moscone Center is also very eco-friendly! In 2004, a large solar panel system was put on its roof. This was a big step for San Francisco to get clean energy. The solar panels cover a huge area, about 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2).
This solar system, along with other energy-saving efforts, creates enough electricity to power about 8,500 homes!
Getting Around the Area
The center is in a great spot in San Francisco. It's easy to get to hotels, restaurants, and public transportation. There's a train station, Yerba Buena/Moscone station, right near the center. You can also walk two blocks to the Powell Street station for more train options.
Exciting Events at Moscone Center
The Moscone Center hosts many large and interesting events every year. In the 2016–17 season, it hosted 74 events with over a million visitors!
Many big professional gatherings happen here, like:
- Dreamforce (since 2005)
- Game Developers Conference (since 2007)
- Oracle OpenWorld (since 1997)
- RSA Conference (many years since 2001)
- SEMICON West (since 1992)
- Winter Fancy Food Show
The center also hosts fun public events like the SF Auto Show.
Some famous events that used to be held at Moscone Center include:
- Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (2003–2016)
- Google I/O (2008–2015)
- Macworld/iWorld (1985–2014)
- WonderCon (2003–2011)
Other special events have included:
- The 1984 Democratic National Convention, where a woman was nominated for Vice President for the first time by a major party.
- The 1993 World Science Fiction Convention.
- The 2015 TwitchCon and PlayStation Experience.
- The 2016 NFL Experience.
See also
In Spanish: Moscone Center para niños
- Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
- 49-Mile Scenic Drive
- List of convention centers in the United States
