The Masonic

What you need to know

The Masonic sits at the top of Nob Hill, and the building looks like nothing else in the city. The facade is a massive mosaic mural made from Venetian glass tiles depicting Masonic symbols. It was built in 1958 as a Freemason auditorium and converted to a concert venue. The main hall holds about 3,300 people.

What to Expect

The room is wide and the stage is elevated, so sightlines are decent even from the back. Sound quality is solid for a venue this size, though the flat floor means shorter attendees should arrive early or stick to the sides where the floor rises slightly. The balcony offers the best overall view.

Booking runs through Live Nation. Expect mid to large touring acts across rock, pop, comedy, and electronic. The lobby has a full bar and the concessions are standard venue pricing, which means expensive.

Visiting

1111 California Street, Nob Hill. Doors typically open 60 to 90 minutes before showtime. Tickets range from $40 to $120+ depending on the act. Most shows are general admission floor with reserved balcony.

The location is genuinely impressive. Walking out of a show to the view of the city from Nob Hill at night is a nice bonus that most concert venues can’t offer.

Getting There

The California Street cable car stops right in front of the building. From BART, take any Muni Metro to Powell and transfer to the California cable car, or walk uphill about 15 minutes. The Nob Hill streets around the venue have metered parking, but it’s competitive. The closest garage is at the Masonic itself on event nights or the garage at Grace Cathedral nearby.

Skip this if you’re set on an intimate experience. This is a big room for big shows. The trade off is proximity for production value.

📍 Location: This activity is in Nob Hill. Explore the neighborhood →