Coit Tower, San Francisco

The murals in the lobby of Coit Tower have an interesting story of their own. They were commisioned in 1934 by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), a government funded program designed to keep artists employed during the Great Depression. The murals depict life in modern California and they were painted by 25 local artists, students of the famouse Mexican communist artist, Diego Rivera. Scenes range from the busy streets of the Financial District (with a robbery in progress) to factories and the Central Valley wheat fields. Seeing the murals you can sense the social commentary. The work criticizes the economic inequities of life during the Great Depression, and that made the murals highly controversial when the project was finished. Many where upset with the work's political content, seeing the murals as Communist inspired. Responding to pressure the San Francisco Art Commision delayed the opening of the Coit Tower and considered destroying the murals. After numerous debates Coit Tower was finally opened to the public in October 1934. What amazed me is that the murals are remarkable close in style despite the fact that so many different artists created them.

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Coit Tower represents another San Francisco signature landmark, one that appears in all the movies when we're supposed to understand that the action will take place in San Francisco. It sits at the top of Telegraph Hill, in a great location with gorgeous views all around. It's a popular tourist attraction and if you come here by car and on a weekend you'll wait ages to get to the parking lot at the top. I prefer to hike up Telegraph Hill and do some little exercise along the way - well, weather permitting :)There's also a MUNI bus that goes to Coit Tower, the #39. The tower was built in 1933 with funds left by Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an eccentric San Franciscan. Inside, the lobby is decorated with murals (since I like their story I'll write a separate tip about them). A short elevator ascent will take you to the observation deck where you'll find the gorgeous views I was talking about. There's Bay Bridge to the east, downtown San Francisco with Transamerica to the south, Marin County to the north and Russian Hill and the Golden Gate Bridge to the west. The tickets for the observation deck are sold in the gift shop (to tell you the truth, I think $3.50 is too expensive, but hey, you're on vacation). I almost forgot; the architect was Arthur Brown, who's done quite a bit of work in the San Francisco area including the San Francisco City Hall.

Coit Tower is an art deco tower erected on Telegraph Hill as memory of San Francisco earthquake firefighters. The tower was funded by Lillie Hitchcock Coit and it was completed in 1933. The tower has several murals on the first floor.

The hill itself has magnificent views to the surrounding areas, including the bay and the downtown.

You can either drive your way up there, or then take the hard path from the shore. There are a set of stairs 'Filbert Steps' from Sansome street up to Telegraph hill. The lenght of the stairs is nearly three blocks, but they are worth the burden.

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In a city known for its great views and vantage points, Coit Tower is one of the best. Located atop Telegraph Hill, just east of North Beach, the round, stone tower offers panoramic views of the city and the bay and is visible from many parts of the city. This 210-foot-tall Tower resembles a giant fire hose nozzle, and stands as a monument to the city's volunteer firefighters. During the early days of the gold rush, Lillie Hitchcock Coit (known as Miss Lil) was said to have deserted a wedding party and chased down the street after her favorite engine, Knickerbocker No. 5, while clad in her bridesmaid finery. She stopped to help firemen fight a blaze and was soon made an honorary member of the Knickerbocker Company. After that she always signed her name "Lillie Coit 5" in honor of her favorite fire engine.

Lillie died in 1929 at the age of 86, leaving the city $125,000 to "expend in an appropriate manner…to the beauty of San Francisco. Coit Tower stands atop Telegraph Hill. In 1846 Captain John Montgomery, Commander of the District of San Francisco, claimed the hilltop for the US government. During the Gold Rush era, settlers used the hilltop Marine Telegraph to relay news of arriving ships -- thus the name Telegraph Hill.

Completed in 1933, 19 depression-era murals depict economic and political life in California. The government used the Depression-era WPA project to commission the murals, and the 25 artists who painted them were each paid $38 a week. Some were fresh from art school; others had found no market for art in the early 1930s. The radical Mexican painter Diego Rivera inspired the murals' socialist-realist style, with its biting cultural commentary, particularly about the exploitation of workers. At the time the murals were painted, clashes between management and labor along the waterfront and elsewhere in San Francisco were widespread.

Take the elevator to the top of the tower, remember that it gets a little chilly as the top has no ceiling and is open to the air.

On the top of Telegraph Hill is the 210 foot Coit Tower, built with funds left to the city by Lillie Hitchcock Coit for the beautification of SF. Due to Coit's admiration for the fire fighters who foughts the 1906 earthquake fires, many beleive the tower was designed in the shape of a fire hose nozzle. Excellent view of the entire bay from the top of the tower. For getting there take a bus running every ten minutes (I am not sure) or go by walk (if you're in good shape).

Affectionately referred to as the "firehose nozzle", this building is a popular landmark of San Francisco. It houses several art murals and offers a nice overlook of the city. This building crowns the historic Telegraph Hill. The neighborhood in the immediate region is very nice for walking. there is an admission charge to gain entrance to the upper level of the tower.

One of the hictoric landmark in San Francisco. This 210 ft monument was built in 1933. The interior of the tower was painted with murals. No charge for viewing murals on the 1st floor. The elevator will take you to the top of the tower for more viewing opportuinities (cost US$3).

You'll get a panaromic view of the city & bay, including Golden Gate Bridge & Bay bridge, from the foot of the tower. For more viewing opportuinities, take the elevator to the top of the tower.

You can either hike up Telegraph Hill or catch #39 MUNI bus from Washington Square (the easy way) to get here.

Parking is LIMITED and at peak times there may be a long wait.

Tower opens daily from 10am - 5pm.

The tower itself was build by Lillie Hitchcock Coit, one the best loved and most eccentric San Franciscans.

I personally did not find the tower itself a big deal, maybe because I negotiated my way up the hill climbing up the Filbert Steps which at 3pm in the month of August is a pretty brave thing to do ! So when I got there I was pretty fed up.

The murals made it worth though. They depict scenes of life in modern SF and California and the scenes are filled with details of the daily life as a robbery in the Financial District or the works in the factories, workers picking up oranges... you name it....

They are specially interest as a depiction of California during the Great Depression and they denounce social injustice and hard work.... Truly interesting street art.