Return to Search Results


Great American Music Hall

Tell a Friend
Add to MyGuide

San Francisco Wedding Venue
859 O'Farrell Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
View Map

Contact: Event Coordinator
Phone: 415/255-7395
www.gamh.com
  Request more information from Great American Music Hall
if you would mention that you found Great American Music Hall on the Here Comes The Guide website.






Great American Music Hall

Why We Like This Place

Standing beneath marble columns, ornately gilded balconies and an elaborate frescoed ceiling, it’s easy to imagine this building’s allure when it first came on the scene as a flashy French restaurant and San Francisco’s grandest nightclub. Opening in 1907 on the heels of the great earthquake, the 5,000-square-foot concert hall symbolized the city’s renewed optimism. The popular club flourished for a quarter century in this incarnation, then became the Music Box, where Sally Rand performed her famous fan dances, and later served as a Moose Lodge and yet another French restaurant.

In 1972 it was reborn as the Great American Music Hall, and in 1994 a complete facelift restored the club to its original rococo grandeur. For more than 25 years the hall has showcased the talents of music and comedy greats such as Ray Charles, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams. Its intimate setting and wonderful acoustics continue to make it a favorite among locals, as well as with their devoted following throughout the Bay Area.

In addition to countless concerts, the Hall has hosted corporate bashes, fundraisers, holiday parties, product launches and weddings. Its flexible layout—one large room with balconies, a stage, huge oak dance floor and two full bars—makes it party-friendly, and there’s not a bad seat in the house. The Music Hall also comes equipped with a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system and all the necessary staff.

Couples getting married here use the stage for the ceremony, with their “audience” seated in chairs on the dance floor and up in the balconies. Once the knot has been tied, the rows of chairs are removed and the Hall is ready for the next phase of the celebration. Tables have been set up for dining all around, and even on the balconies if you like. With a band or a DJ making music on the stage and your guests dancing in the center of the room, the festivities can carry on into the night.

The Great American Music Hall offers a couple of very cool options that take the fun factor up a notch: They’ll put the name of your company, your group, your families, or a special message on their marquee (who wouldn’t get a kick out of seeing your name in lights?). Considering a theme event? The Hall is the perfect setting for a glitzy casino night, a Barbary Coast bash, or a Phantom of the Opera Night. Swing or ‘60s dance parties work well here, too.

Close to Union Square and only 10 blocks from Moscone Center, the Music Hall is conveniently situated for post-convention events. The space adapts comfortably to the size of your group, whether you have 100 or 600 guests, and the in-house coordinator will help you book just the right band or DJ.

While you can enhance the mood here with candles or uplighting the columns, the Great American Music Hall is really quite scintillating all by itself. The only building of its kind in The City, it provides a unique window into San Francisco’s colorful, exuberant past.

Capacity

Ceremony

Reception/Special Events

Meetings

Max. Seated Indoors: 350
Max. Seated Outdoors: 0 		Max. Seated Indoors: 350
Max. Seated Outdoors: 0
Max. Standing Indoors: 600
Max. Standing Outdoors: 0 		Max. Seated: 250

CEREMONY & EVENT/RECEPTION CAPACITY: The Hall can accommodate 50–350 seated and up to 600 standing guests for a reception. Ceremonies can take place on the stage.

MEETING CAPACITY: Up to 250 seated guests with an unobstructed view of the stage.

Fees & Deposits

Half the required event minimum plus a $500 refundable security deposit are due when reservations are confirmed; the balance is payable 2 business days prior to the event. Facility rental rates are as follows: Sunday–Wednesday $6,500, with an additional food and beverage minimum of $3,000. The rental rate for Thursday–Saturday is $8,000, with an additional food and beverage minimum of $5,000. Food and beverage minimums are subject to a service charge and current sales tax. Holiday rates may be subject to an additional surcharge.

There are additional fees for miscellaneous services and various rental items. Evening rental rates include a house manager, bartenders, cocktail waitresses, sound and lighting technicians, security staff, an on-site event coordinator and more. If you use the in-house catering, all servers and culinary staff are included and meal pricing is as follows: hors d’oeuvres start at $20/person, dinners at $45/person; alcohol, tax and service charge are additional.

Availability

Year-round, daily, 6am–3pm or 3pm–2am. Other blocks of time can be arranged.

Catering

Provided
BYO

Alcohol

Provided

Location Uses

Ceremonies
Wedding Receptions
Special Events, Parties
Business Functions/Meetings
Rehearsal Dinners

Services/Amenities

Catering: provided or BYO
Kitchen Facilities: fully equipped
Tables & Chairs: cocktail tables and chairs are provided or BYO
Linens, Silver, etc.: call for details
Restrooms: wheelchair accessible
Dance Floor: yes
Bride’s Dressing Area: 3 dressing rooms
Meeting Equipment: microphones, screen, built-in stage
Parking: valet, garage, nearby lots, on street
Accommodations: no guest rooms
Telephone: house phone
Outdoor Night Lighting: access only
Outdoor Cooking Facilities: no
Cleanup: provided
View: no
Other: event coordination, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, entertainment bookings

Amplified Music

Indoors

Wheelchair Access

Wheelchair Accessible

Site Views

No View

Venue Type

Ballroom
Banquet Hall/Events Facility
Historic/Landmark Building
Nightclub
Other

Restrictions

Alcohol: provided
Smoking: no
Music: amplified OK
Wheelchair Access: yes
Insurance: required
Other: no birdseed, rice or confetti; no stick-on name tags


Wedding Venues > Northern California Wedding Venues > San Francisco Wedding Venues

Want to search again?

Wedding Checklist

Wedding Vendors You Might Like

Strawberry Fields DJ CompanyStrawberry Fields DJ Company, DJs and Entertainment
Vibrant EventsVibrant Events, Coordinator / Wedding Planner
Timothy Mills MinisterTimothy Mills Minister, Officiant
Stark and Co CateringStark and Co Catering, Caterer
Sasha PhotographySasha Photography, Photographer

(What's this?)

The vendors listed above work in the San Francisco region and are displayed randomly. They may or may not be preferred vendors at Great American Music Hall.

Search for more wedding vendors who work in San Francisco or all of Northern California.

Register for your MyGuide account

tout_altWishing you could save a list of the places and services that interest you? You can. Register for MyGuide and save your favorite locations and services. You can even share your list with family or friends or post to your Facebook account.

Just getting started?


Know what questions to ask when evaluating a wedding venue and what questions to ask wedding vendors:   

Where will your wedding guests stay?

Guest cottage at Carneros Inn, Napa 6–9 months before your wedding: Arrange hotel room blocks for out-of-town guests and book your own suite for the wedding night. Find your guest accommodations here! Northern California Wedding Venues With Guest Accommodations

Beach Weddings

Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel Beach Wedding CeremonyLove the idea of a beach wedding in California? We provide detailed information on dozens and dozens of beachfront wedding venues in California.