To get a good feel of the next city that you're visiting, consider touring its city hall. Many city halls offer tours where you can learn about the building's architecture and the city's history while observing local residents taking care of their day-to-day business. While there are many drab city halls across the country, there are also city halls that are truly breathtaking, representative of their city's character, and just as worthy of your time as any other famous tourist site. The following three are among the nation's most beautiful:
San Francisco City Hall
No one can deny that San Francisco has one of the most beautiful city halls in the country. You may have walked past it many times but have you been inside? Next time relatives or friends are visiting, bring them to this building that built in the Beaux-Arts style, the interior of which features a rotunda with a grand marble staircase. Look up when you’re standing in the rotunda to be awarded with a view of the ornately decorated domed ceiling. The stucco artwork decorating the ceiling casts off a soft orange glow.
The city hall is so beautiful that couples happily pay thousands of dollars to rent out the venue for their wedding. Those wanting a more simple ceremony or not willing to fork over that kind of money can still get married there after paying the small ceremony fee. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, who got married here in 1954, is the most famous couple to grace the city hall with their presence.
Art fans can check out the free art exhibited in the ground floor while political aficionados can attend a public hearing to witness San Francisco's rambunctious political scene.
The San Francisco City Hall Docent Tour program runs free tours every day at 10:00AM, 12:00PM, and 2:00PM. Run by volunteers, the tours last between 45 minutes to an hour.
Philadelphia City Hall
The most striking feature of Philadelphia City Hall must be the 37' bronze statue of William Penn, Pennsylvania's founder, on top of the clock tower. Philadelphia City Hall stands about 548 feet tall if you're counting to the top of William Penn's hat. Built in 1860, this National Historic Landmark, with 700 rooms in total, is the largest municipal building in the United States. Tours of city hall and the tower, costing $10 per adult, depart at 12:30PM and last about an hour and a half to two hours. You'll need that amount of time to take in the multitude of architectural reliefs and sculptures found throughout the building, representing virtues such as justice and law.
If you don't have that much time to spare, you can get a ticket for the tower only, for $5. The tower's observation desk provides a 360 degree panoramic view of the city. On a clear day, you'll be rewarded with a clear view of Philadelphia's skyscrapers bordering Board Street, Philadelphia's major artery, along with views of the Delaware River and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
Can't make it to Philadelphia? You can take a virtual tour of their city hall here.
Buffalo City Hall
Fans of Art Deco architecture will definitely want to visit Buffalo's city hall. The geometric lines of Buffalo City Hall draw your eyes up from the ground all the way to the top - a length of 398 feet.
Above the main entrance are figures representing industries that have played a major part in Buffalo's development. There's the iron worker, electrician, and ship captain. Not to be forgotten are the American Pioneers, represented in the sandstone panels underneath the entrance, and the region's Native Americans, whose Four Winds symbols are etched into four columns.
As you enter the Council Chamber in the thirteenth floor, you may be momentarily blinded by the ceiling, a huge stained glass window resembling the sun. The sun's rays stream through the glass and light up the chamber beautifully. After admiring the stained glass ceiling, continue on to the 28th floor to reach the observation deck. From the observation deck, you have a view of the city, Lake Erie, and the Niagara River. Niagara Falls can even be seen on a clear day.
Buffalo Tours provide free tours of this Art Deco masterpiece at 12:00PM every day.
These are just three of the nation's most beautiful and unique city halls. To see whether the next city you're visiting offers city hall tours, check the city's official government page.
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