History and public transit buffs can take a step back in time to see how people traveled on San Francisco’s transit system as part of a new free photo exhibition at City Hall.
The exhibition highlights not only celebratory events in San Francisco, like the 100th anniversary of the Powell Street cable cars, which included a parade in 1988, and the opening of the new Muni 83-Pacific route with lion dancers performing, but also the photos showcase everyday people riding cable cars, motor coaches, trolley coaches, and streetcars in different eras of the city.
Visitors will also see photos from different decades that show the people who kept Muni moving all these years: its operators sporting uniforms from different generations.
In collaboration with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Photo Archive and the city’s Arts Commission, the exhibition, “Moving San Francisco: Views from the SFMTA Photo Archive 1903–Now,” opened last Thursday. Visitors can find it in the North Light Court and on the ground floor of City Hall.
“We’re excited to showcase Muni’s history and the role it’s played in shaping our city,” SFMTA’s Director of Transportation Julie Kirschbaum said in a press statement last month in announcing the exhibition. “For over 100 years, it’s been the steady presence that’s carried us through the eras that define San Francisco.”
Jackie Im, the Art Commission’s acting director of public galleries and public programming, said in a statement that the exhibition provides a “unique look” at how the city has evolved and changed.
“As someone who was born and raised in San Francisco, it was a joy to travel back in time seeing the buses and streetcars of my youth, as well as images of the city from the turn of the 20th century that are unrecognizable and photos of the city today,” Im added.
Several events will also be held during the run of the exhibition, including lunchtime tours starting next month, according to the Arts Commission. A schedule of tours will be published soon.
The public can participate in a zine-making workshop with “Muni Raised Me” artist Meymey Lee on April 26 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arts Commission Main Gallery (401 Van Ness Avenue).
Muni Diaries also plans to hold a trivia night for transit nerds to show off just how much they know about the city’s transit system. The event will take place on May 16, but the time and location are to be determined.
Moving San Francisco: Views from the SFMTA Photo Archive 1903–Now is currently on view until June 18, 2026, in the North Light Court and on the ground floor in San Francisco City Hall (1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place). Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Free admission.