ICONIC

The Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange is more than San Francisco’s most iconic event venue; it is a link to the city’s unique and compelling history. Located at the heart of the bustling Financial District, the building radiates elegance from the street to the lobby and beyond. With an unparalleled design pedigree from three of America’s most celebrated architects, an unmatched legacy of hosting the city’s most important events, and state-of-the-art technological amenities, the Julia Morgan Ballroom is at once quintessentially San Francisco and fully tailored to your unique vision.

The experience begins on California Street with cable cars whirring up Nob Hill behind you. Pass through the street-level doors and into an immaculately maintained era of lavish detail and impeccable taste designed by Willis Polk, Daniel Burnham and Julia Morgan, three titans of American architecture. The barrel-vaulted lobby shines with marble, gold leaf and bronze, while the curved glass ceiling washes the space in abundant natural light.

Gleaming new elevators whisk you quickly up to the 15th floor and the landmark Julia Morgan Ballroom. The space is fully dedicated to your vision; there are no busy hotel corridors to contend with, no intrusions from the outside world.

Before entering the ballroom, guests move through a classic foyer and proceed naturally through the opulent bar and lounge, featuring gilded ceilings and fireplaces of carved stone at each end. The 27-foot curved marble bar sweeps you toward the ballroom and a breathtaking reveal…

HISTORIC

Light flows into the elegant 4,370 square foot ballroom through a wall of soaring floor-to-ceiling arched windows that afford a view of the twinkling cityscape, while mirrors on the opposite wall reflect the light. The view overhead is equally impressive – the ceiling is an intricate honeycomb of painstakingly crafted mahogany octagonals. The rich, paneled walls continue the refined aesthetic with classic columns worked directly into the wood. At the far end, a 20-foot stone fireplace provides an iconic backdrop and a final touch of grandeur.

Weddings at the Julia Morgan Ballroom are not simply planned; they’re designed. In a building that has hosted U.S. presidents, foreign dignitaries, business legends and the brightest stars of film, music and sports, our staff has an unmatched legacy to honor and protect. Our dedication to excellence, discretion and personal touch ensures that your wedding will unfold as a truly unique experience for you and your guests, as well as a poignant entry in our own celebrated history.

UNPARALLELED

Strategically positioned amid fine hotels, notable restaurants, cultural attractions and the energy of the City’s financial nerve center, the ballroom offers event-goers the best of everything San Francisco has to offer, including numerous public transportation options and abundant evening parking.

Because we own and operate our own venues, we are able to focus on the total guest experience, from gourmet food and beverage service down to the smallest detail of event production. When you reserve the Julia Morgan Ballroom, you enjoy use of the entire 15th floor including the bar and lounge, coat check, and several smaller rooms that are perfect for bridal dressing areas or other activities. Exclusive access to these fluid spaces affords the utmost flexibility in planning your event, as well as complete privacy.

The Ballroom’s professional production team boasts decades of combined experience in producing the finest San Francisco weddings. In addition to the City’s most celebrated venue, we provide one of the most valuable elements of your wedding day: peace of mind.

FLOORPLANS

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CAPACITIES

What People Are Saying:

"Just loved working with this venue."

— JOCELYN R.

They went over and above to make our meeting a premier event. The venue is great. We had plain box lunches and they were delicious. The style is very classic, but we even made it retro-modern with white furniture and modern florals. The staff was stellar. They attended to each guest and I did not even have to ask for things and they were done. Would highly recommend for a meeting, wedding or any event! Loved it!

We absolutely adore the venue--the architecture is incredible.

— CARA T.

Lillian and Elexis made sure everything ran completely smoothly. The food was delicious! Everyone kept raving to us about it, and we especially enjoyed the salmon entrée. Soup was poured, which added that extra touch of elegance. The mini milkshakes that we selected as one of our late night items were SO good. Our guests kept noting how awesome and attentive all the staff/servers were...Lillian and Elexis went above and beyond to make our day perfect, and we were able to enjoy our day without having to worry or stress about anything. We loved having our wedding here!

"I felt so special to be in such a storied venue."

— ROBERT H.
The decor was so elegant and I felt so special to be in such a storied venue rich with historic significance. Lillian is the point person who made this fairy tale experience come to fruition.
Two thumbs up for the Julia Morgan Ballroom and a big high 5! You killed it!

The JMB is beautiful, timeless and quintessentially SF.

— ANA R.
When my husband and I began the wedding venue search process, the Julia Morgan Ballroom was at the top of our list from the get go. We knew it would be the venue to beat - and no venue ever did. The venue itself has so much history and is incredibly stunning. All of our guests were in awe of the space! Lillian and Elexis: were awesome! They were professional, incredibly responsive, always followed through in a timely fashion, were incredibly detailed, flexible, and all around just great to work with and made the process even better. We felt at ease with them and we knew all the details would be taken care of.

ALL of our guests couldn't stop raving about the food. People typically are iffy about wedding food but we along with our guests absolutely loved it. We wish they had a regular restaurant we could frequent in order to have the same food we picked out for our big day!

“I hope to host another event with them soon!”

— DONNA H.
I hosted my company's annual holiday party at the Julia Morgan Ballroom and I still receive so many compliments about it! The space is absolutely incredible! You feel so special in the room and it really takes your events up a level. The food is delicious, the portions are a bit on the smaller side for passed hors d'oeuvre but they were yummy! The staff is amazing! They are so accommodating, helpful, organized and on time. When I arrived to bring a few personal details the room was nearly set up already, there wasn't much to stress about. Partnering with their team makes planning an event a breeze. They took care of securing a DJ, casino tables and florals. I would highly recommend this as a venue for corporate events and weddings. The team is wonderful to work with and I hope to host another event with them soon!

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Central to Everything

The Julia Morgan Ballroom is located in the heart of San Francisco’s vibrant Financial District at the intersection of California & Montgomery Streets, right on the California Cable Car line.

We are four short blocks to BART/Muni, 14 miles to San Francisco International Airport and less than one mile to Moscone Center. With ample evening street parking and several nearby garages, your guests will enjoy a variety of transportation options.