Coit Tower- Telegraph Hill
San Francisco Sightseeing Attraction
San Francisco’s Coit Tower is located on Telegraph Hill, near north Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf. It was erected at the request of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the city that she loved.
Coit Tower is built in the art deco style. It is 210 feet tall and made of reinforced concrete.
It was designed by Henry Howard and Arthur Brown, Jr. The interior of Coit Tower is a series of murals done by 26 different artists.
The murals were commissioned as part of the Federal Art Project. Two of the murals are San Francisco Bay scenes painted by Jose Moya del Pino. Most of Coit Tower’s murals are done in the fresco style, except for one mural done in egg tempera, and the pieces in the elevator lobby, which are oil on canvas. Most of these murals have a “leftist” theme, relating to the Great Depression and socialist political movements. Most of the murals have been restored, except for a small part of the wall on the spiral stair exit to the observation platform, which was painted over in an epoxy surface. As of now, the murals are open to the public for free during open hours. However, there are negotiations with the Recreation and Parks Department of San Francisco to charge viewers for entrance to the mural rotunda. The murals on the spiral stairway are only open for viewing on Saturday mornings at 11 am.
The view from Coit Tower is legendary. This breathtaking panoramic affords a birds-eye-view of the Golden Gate Park, the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Alcatraz, Pier 39, Angel Island, Treasure Island, the Bay Bridge, Russian Hill, the Financial District, Lombard Street, and Nob Hill. It’s a gorgeous view unequaled in the world. On sunny days a guest can see for miles, to all the most beautiful parts of the city.
Because Coit Tower is on one of the steeper hills in the city, the parking lot at the top of the hill is accessible by one road only, Telegraph Hill Boulevard. Because it’s such a popular attraction, the street can be congested for almost a third of the street. It’s a far better idea to spend a morning or an afternoon in North Beach and take the 39-Coit Bus to the top of the hill. In this part of the city, MUNI is the best idea for travel, so that visitors to the city can spend their time exploring the city instead of stuck in traffic.
Coit Tower is close to several other beautiful parts of San Francisco. North Beach and the Embarcadero are closest, offering a wide selection of restaurants and shopping. Coit Tower is a beautiful part of San Francisco, and an important part of San Francisco history. Standing atop Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower has crowned San Francisco since 1933. Coit Tower stands in Pioneer Park, which was bought by a group of businessmen in 1876 to protect the hill from development. The land for Pioneer Park was donated by these businessmen to be made into a park. It can be reached by walking up Greenwich Street or up the Filbert Steps at Montgomery Street.
The best part of Coit Tower is by far its view. Though the murals are historically important, and impressive in their grasp of societal issues, the view is the aspect of Coit Tower that is one of a kind. Visitors to San Francisco should make a point to visit Coit Tower, even if only for the view. It’s the kind of view that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, for all its picturesque qualities and panoramic expanse. Coit Tower is an inspiring symbol of San Francisco’s pride, diversity and beauty to everyone who comes to San Francisco.