Coit Tower Tower

Address: 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA

Website: https://sfrecpark.org/1268/Coit-Tower

Hours: Daily 10:00am-6:00pm (tower; hours vary seasonally)

Admission: $9 adult (observation deck elevator fee; ground-level access is free)

Coit Tower is an Art Deco tower on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, completed in 1933 and funded by a bequest from civic patron Lillie Hitchcock Coit. The tower is a local landmark and an established viewpoint over the city and bay.

The tower was erected in 1933 using the Coit bequest and soon after became the site for a large set of New Deal-era murals completed in 1934; these murals have attracted scholarly and public attention for their social-realist themes.

Coit Tower stands atop Telegraph Hill in the Pioneer Park area of San Francisco, close to North Beach and accessible on foot from several nearby streets.

• Height and date: The tower is 210 feet (64 metres) tall and was completed in 1933 using a bequest from Lillie Hitchcock Coit to the city of San Francisco.
• Visiting notes: Interior murals are historically significant and the observation deck is best visited on clear days for long-range views; an elevator serves the top but there is often a short wait at peak times.

What to See#

• Observation deck (210 ft / 64 m tower): The circular observation deck at the tower summit, reached by elevator, provides 360-degree views across San Francisco including the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and downtown skyline.
• WPA-era interior murals (1934): Interior murals painted in 1934 under the WPA program by a group of artists, illustrating California life and New Deal-era subjects.

Coit Tower is best reached on foot from the North Beach/Fisherman’s Wharf area-roughly a 10-20 minute uphill walk from Washington Square Park-or by the San Francisco Municipal Railway buses that serve the Telegraph Hill area. Several scenic stairways (e.g., Filbert Steps) lead up the hill for walkers.

• Take the elevator to the observation deck for the best city views, but study the murals on the ground level first-they're often missed by visitors rushing to the top.
• Go just before sunset on a clear day-the city lights and the bay create a classic San Francisco tableau.
• Buy tickets in person at the ground floor kiosk; the tower can sell out for peak times, but there is generally walk-up availability on weekdays.