Coit Tower

1 Telegraph Hill Blvd

San Francisco California

Coit Tower, The 210-foot reinforced concrete tower sits atop Telegraph hill on San Francisco's Pioneer Park and offers the best panoramic views of the city and the San Francisco Bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the sea lions on Pier 39. To reach Telegraph Hill (located between the Financial District and Fisherman's Wharf), visitors can park nearby and walk the steep way up Filbert Steps through stunning private gardens.

Coit Tower was built thanks to the generosity of philanthropist Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who left part of her fortune to the city of San Francisco. Authorities built the Coit Tower mainly as a monument to the volunteer firefighters that lost their life in the 1906 earthquake fires, but also as a thank you to the woman who did so much to help beautify San Francisco. Finished in 1933, Coit Tower now houses a collection of 1930s-inspired murals depicting images of daily life during the great depression and works by Victor Arnautoff and 24 other top-notch artists that studied or were influenced by Mexican painter Diego Rivera.

Although many think Coit Tower is designed to look like a giant fire-hose nozzle, others disagree, citing the art-deco style of the design.

There's an additional, smaller collection of murals on the walls of the Coit Tower's spiral stairway – These are closed to the general public and only accessible by joining the San Francisco City Guides on a free tour. Over 250,000 visitors come every year to visit one of the few observation decks in the state to rise more than 500 feet above sea level. 

Coit Tower is located at 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd, San Francisco, and is open daily 10am-6pm. The small museum and mural exhibit can be accessed for free, but there's a $3.75 charge to take the elevator up to the observation deck. To join a San Francisco City Guide tour, check their website at www.sfcityguides.org.  

Coit Tower

San Francisco Hotels, Restaurant & Attractions