Union Square, San Francisco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Union Square
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Overview of the plaza, 2018
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 Union Square
Location in San Francisco
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| City | San Francisco |
| Reference #: | 623 |
Union Square is a public plaza in downtown San Francisco, California. It covers about 2.6 acres and is surrounded by Geary, Powell, Post, and Stockton Streets. The name "Union Square" also refers to the larger area around the plaza. This area is famous for its many shops, hotels, and theaters.
The square got its name because it was a place where people gathered to support the Union Army during the American Civil War. This is why it is also a California Historical Landmark. Even with some changes over time, Union Square remains a very important shopping area in San Francisco.
Historically, this area had many large department stores, fancy shops, art galleries, and beauty salons. This made Union Square a popular spot for tourists and a well-known meeting place in downtown San Francisco. In the middle of the square, you can see the Dewey Monument. This monument has a statue of Nike, who was the ancient Greek goddess of victory.
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History of Union Square
Union Square was once a tall sand dune. In 1850, the area was set aside to become a public park. It was named Union Square because of the rallies held there to support the Union before and during the American Civil War. The monument in the square also honors the sailors of the United States Navy.
John W. Geary, San Francisco's first American mayor, built and dedicated Union Square in 1850. Since then, the plaza has changed a lot. A big change happened in 1903 when a 97-foot-tall monument was dedicated. This monument honors Admiral George Dewey for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War. It also remembers U.S. President William McKinley, who had recently been assassinated. The "Victory" statue at the top of the monument was created by Robert Aitken. The model for the statue was a Danish-American artist's model named Alma de Bretteville, who later married a very rich citizen of San Francisco.
Another important change happened between 1939 and 1941. A large underground parking garage was built right under the square. This meant the plaza's lawns, bushes, and the Dewey monument were now on the roof of this garage. It was the first underground parking garage in the world and was designed by Timothy Pflueger.
In the late 1970s, and through the 1980s and 1990s, the area faced some challenges. In early 1998, city planners started making plans to improve the plaza. They wanted more paved areas for easier care, outdoor cafes, and more levels for the underground garage. In late 2000, the park was partly closed for renovations. On July 25, 2002, the park reopened with a ceremony led by Mayor Willie Brown. He encouraged everyone to "Use it; it is your square." In 2004, a company launched a free Wi-Fi network in Union Square, which Mayor Gavin Newsom supported. This network is still available today.
Today, Union Square is still seen as the "heart" of San Francisco. It hosts many public concerts, art shows, and events. In winter, there is an ice rink, and the annual Christmas tree and Menorah lighting ceremonies take place here. You can get great views of the square from nearby tall buildings like the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, the top floor of Macy's, and the Grand Hyatt hotel.
To help keep the area great, the Union Square Business Improvement District was started in 1999. This group helps with cleaning and safety, and also with marketing and improving the area.
Public Art and Monuments
At the very center of Union Square, you will find the Dewey Monument. This monument is an 85-foot-tall column with a 9-foot statue of Nike, the ancient Greek Goddess of Victory, on top. The monument is dedicated to Admiral George Dewey. He was a hero of the Spanish–American War because of his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. The monument was officially opened in 1903.
Since 2009, you can also see painted heart sculptures in each of the four corners of the square. These are part of the Hearts in San Francisco public art project.
Businesses and Hotels
The Tiffany Building is an 11-story building located at Union Square. The first two floors have a Tiffany & Co. store, while the upper floors are offices. Cathay Pacific, an airline, has its North America headquarters on the third floor of this building. They moved their headquarters here in 2005.
The only hotel actually located right on Union Square is the Westin St. Francis hotel. This hotel is famous for its historic Magneta Grandfather Clock. It is also believed to be the only hotel in the world that offers a coin washing service to its guests. This service started in 1938 when high-society ladies wore white gloves that could get dirty from handling money. They use a special soap called borax and an old, hand-operated machine to clean the coins.
Nearby Attractions
Union Square is not just the plaza itself, but also the general area around it with many shops, restaurants, and theaters. The Geary and Curran theaters, located one block west on Geary Street, are part of the "theater district." Union Square is also home to TIX Bay Area, where you can buy half-priced tickets for many of San Francisco's performing arts shows on the day of the performance.
Two blocks south, at the end of Powell Street, is where the cable cars turn around near Market Street. This area is a growing shopping spot. Nob Hill, known for its large mansions and hotels, is to the northwest of Union Square. Directly northeast is Chinatown, with its famous dragon gate at Grant Avenue and Bush Street.
The city's historic French Quarter is northeast of Union Square. It centers around the Belden Place alleyway, between Bush and Pine Streets, and Claude Lane off Bush Street. This area has many outdoor French restaurants and cafes. Every year, a lively Bastille Day celebration takes place here, which is the largest in the nation.
Directly east of the square, off Stockton Street, is Maiden Lane. This is a short, narrow alley with exclusive shops and cafes. It leads to the Financial District. Here you can find the Xanadu Gallery, which is San Francisco's only building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Its inside design was a model for New York City's Guggenheim Museum. Union Square is also part of the Barbary Coast Trail, which connects many famous San Francisco landmarks.
During the holiday season, an ice skating rink and a large Christmas tree are set up in Union Square.
Shopping in Union Square
Over the years, Union Square has become a very popular place for shopping. Several large department stores are located within a few blocks of Union Square, including Neiman Marcus, Macy's, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Bloomingdale's is also nearby at the Emporium Centre San Francisco mall on Market Street.
Many fancy boutiques and popular stores are located around Union Square. Some luxury stores include Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Bulgari, Loro Piana, Moncler, and the jeweler Tiffany & Co.. You can also find flagship stores for Victoria's Secret, Williams Sonoma, Nike, and Apple around the square. Other well-known brands in the area include Chanel, Prada, Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, Goyard, Dior and Cartier.
In recent years, some changes have happened to the stores in the area. For example, Gap Inc. closed many of its stores around Union Square, though a smaller Banana Republic store reopened in 2023. In 2024, Macy's announced plans to close its large store at Union Square. However, the video game company Nintendo announced that it will open its second US retail store in Union Square in 2025.
Getting Around Union Square
Two cable car lines, the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines, serve Union Square on Powell Street.
Union Square is also served by many trolleybus and bus lines, as well as the F Market heritage streetcar. The Muni Metro and BART subway systems have a station nearby called Powell Street Station on Market Street. In 2012, Muni started building an extension to its Muni Metro system. This extension, called the Central Subway, opened in January 2023. Now, a new station called Union Square/Market Street station directly serves the square, and it's connected to Powell Street station by an underground walkway.
Union Square in Movies
Union Square and the area around it have been featured in several famous movies:
- Scenes from Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Vertigo (1958) were filmed here. Also, the opening scene of his movie The Birds was filmed at the edge of the square. In that scene, the character Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) looks up and sees many birds flying in circles around the monument in the center of the square.
- Francis Ford Coppola filmed many scenes for The Conversation (1974) in Union Square. The important bugged conversation that the movie is about takes place here.
- Philip Kaufman's 1978 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers also includes scenes of the square.
Images for kids
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Overview of the plaza, 2018
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Dewey Monument in 2017
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Ice skating and Christmas tree on display at Union Square during December 2022.
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Some of the department stores along the square, 2011
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Cable car along the square, 2015
See also
In Spanish: Plaza Unión para niños
