Coit Tower, San Francisco

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Coit Tower has been a major landmark in San Francisco for over 70 years. Set atop Telegraph Hill, it's visible from downtown San Francisco and the Bay.

Elizabeth "Lillie" Hitchcock, a doctor's daughter, was fascinated with the SF Fire Department and used to follow the members of Knickerbocker Engine Company #5 to fires . The firemen considered her a mascot and made her an honorary member of the company -- there's a famous photo of her as a young woman, wearing the helmet they gave her. Even after her marriage to Howard Coit, she remained a special supporter of the fire department.

When she died in 1929, Lillie left a small fortune to the city, asking that the money be used to add “to the beauty of the city which I have always loved.” The city built Coit Tower as a memorial to her. Many people say that the tower was designed to resemble a firehose nozzle, but the architects always denied this.

The beautiful Depression-era murals inside the ground floor of the tower were closed to the public for years because some officials felt the paintings were "too Communistic." I don't see that, myself. They do show Californians at work, but I don't feel that they're political.

There are wonderful city views from the grounds. A fee is charged to go up into the Tower, but I'm told the view is basically the same from up there.

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Sitting atop Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower offers some really impressive views of San Francisco. It also helps serve as a direction marker for people lost in the city streets.

The San Francisco bus system serves Coit Tower via the number 39 bus from Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf.

To enter the tower itself, there is an admission fee.

Opening hours:
10:00 - 17:00 Daily
Admission (to tower) :
Adults US$4.50
Concessions US$3.50
Children (6 to 12 years) US$2.00 (Children under 6 are free)

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The Coit Tower is one of the few things in San Francisco that has become a must! Other than testing your fitness level it pulls you to more sights and observations than any other landmark. The walk to up and from Coit Tower is filled with beautiful houses, landscaping, panoramic views of the city, and relaxing breezes. I will admit, I have never been up the tower but getting to and from is all I need. If you want to see this tower and enjoy walking this city, it is the perfect place to go between China Town and Pier 39.

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We reached the foot of Coit Tower via walking up past the beautiful and eccentric houses you see whilst climbing up the steep Filbert Street steps.

We arrived about 10:45 on a Saturday morning and chanced upon a tour guide from San Francisco City Guides who was preparing for her 11:00 am tour of the murals. I signed us both up for the free hour long tour, as it would give us chance to get our breath back and prepare for the downward Greenwich steps.

As we learnt in our tour, Coit Tower is a 210-foot art deco tower located in the Telegraph Hill neighbourhood of San Francisco, and was built in 1933 at the bequest of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the City.

The Coit Tower murals were carried out as part of the Public Works of Art Project.

The murals, some of which we learned were controversial for their times because of their inclusion of Communist images, were created by 25 of California's leading artists of the 1930s reflect scenes of the Great Depression, landscapes, farm workers, industries, a stylish soiree, and vibrant city life. This excellent tour also includes some murals not usually open to the public.

As it turned out, we were the only two people on the tour for the most part and so was nice to have that personal experience with the images.

We didn’t take the lift up to the top of the tower as we didn’t feel it necessary to cram into a lift with a pack of people and preferred to relax and enjoy the murals.

Highly recommended.

My poor fiance doesn't really like my-I can see it in the distance don't worry about a map- attitude to finding the attractions. We set off towards Telegraph hill to climb to the top of the Coit Tower. A small part of me hoped we would see some of the Golden Gate Bridge that maybe the fog was clearer when viewing from higher (silly thought.)
Anyway as luck would have it we approached more from the side closest to the F line street car side and climbed up these gorgeous stairs that seemed to lead through people's back gardens and nearly into their houses. It was so charming and I am glad we took that way although I did nearly have a heart attack and I am pretty fit. The Tower itself had a lift (I think we paid 5 dollars each to use it mind you) and the view from the top was only slightly better than the view from the bottom (of the tower not the hill). I suppose you do have to go right to the top but my favourite part was the lovely steps and looking around the bottom of the tower and learning about how it came into being.

By the way the return journey was more on the Golden Gate Bridge side of the tower and it was a relatively easy walk in comparison. I wish we had taken some photos of the stair side mind you...next visit maybe.

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Assuming you survived the Filbert Stairs...

OK, so you have to fork over a fiver to go to the top of this thing but it's free for fine views of the city from the ground or a look at the murals inside: save your cash for the pub.

Coit Tower was built in 1933 with money left by one Lillie Hitchcock Coit (1842 – 1929): a legendary character with a fondness for drinking, gambling, smoking, wearing men's clothes, and firemen. Urban myth claims that, at her request, the tower resembles the nozzle of a fire hose but not so: she only asked that the bequest be used to somehow beautify the city she adored.

The interior walls of the tower are covered in murals created in 1934 and financed by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP): a government sponsored part of the New Deal economic program that aided the unemployed during the great depression. The paintings were the work of over a dozen artists and and are largely sympathetic reflections of the hardships of the working classes during that difficult era.

There's also a small exhibit honoring Ms. Lillie and a tiny giftshop. The tower doesn't have a website and prices on SF Visitor's site appear to be curiously out of date but it's open 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM and there's a free RoboLoo in the parking lot. You can get here by car but you may not find a parking spot. See the website for public transit options.

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We got tired walking up Gilbert Street but it’s really worth it to go up the Telegraph Hill. The view from the Coit Tower is amazing and you can have a panoramic view of the city(pics 3-4 showing Alcatraz and the city). The tower (pic 1) was built in with funds of Lillie Hitchcok Coit and it’s one of the landmarks in SF. Its height is 64 meters and although it is simple it dominates the skyline of SF because of its location atop Telegraph Hill.

Before going up we spent some time at the lobby and watched some beautiful murals (in social realism style, like Diego Rivera’s) on the walls showing scenes from daily life in 1930 (pic 2), they are considered as some of California’s best exables of depression era public art. The authorities didn’t want to open the tower to the public at first because they were afraid of the communist themes :)

First we payed the entrance fee ($5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $1,5 for small children 5-11) at the small gift shop and then we took the elevator to the top of the tower. The problem is that the glass on the windows wont allow you to have the best quality on your photos but try to admire the view anyway. The windows are very small but you can shoot some nice pics from up here but no tripod use allowed. Have in mind that you can also take nice pics from the parking lot of the tower so you can save some money. You can see the murals at the lobby without paying anyway.

The Tower is open daily and because of some steps, before and after the elevator it’s not wheelchair accessible.

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Coit Tower was built in 1933 at the top of Telegraph Hill thanks to money donated to the city of San Francisco by Lillie Hitchcock Coit. Lillie Coit was known to be a bit of an eccentric figure in North Beach - among other things, she was often caught wearing pants and gambling with men at a time when both were most decidedly frowned upon! The tower bearing her name is 210 feet tall and stands at roughly 500 feet above sea level, thus providing a wonderful 360° view of the city.

The walk up to Coit Tower is quite a workout but the view at the top of Telegraph Hill is worth it - I would even suggest to those not interested in going up the tower to at least make it to the top of Telegraph Hill and enjoy the view from there. Another thing one should know about is that to go up to the observatory platform, visitors need to ride a small, old-fashioned elevator that can only take so many people at a time. Of course it's possible to tell how long it's going to take to go up by looking at the line-up, but there's no way of knowing how many people are waiting to go down - in that sense, Coit Tower can literally become a tourist trap!! So just make sure you allow enough time for your visit.

Coit Tower is open daily from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. Admission: $4.50.