Guide to Coit Tower in San Francisco
Coit Tower was made to help beautify San Francisco. Lillie Hitchcock Coit turned over a large amount of her estate before she passed away to the City of San Francisco. She told the city that she wanted it to go towards increasing the beauty of San Francisco. There have been many myths regarding Coit Tower and its shape including that it was made to model a tube of Lillie Hitchcock Coit’s favorite lipstick or that it was made to model the nozzle on a fire hose as a dedication to the hard working firefighters of the city. None of the myths, however, are believed to be true.
Any tourist that makes the trip to San Francisco should make the trip to see Coit Tower. With a car, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours out of anyone’s day, and it is well worth the trip.
Standing outside at the base of Coit Tower offers any tourist a beautiful view of much of San Francisco. It also offers the opportunity to look straight up the 210 foot high Coit Tower that has stood there since 1933. After viewing the scenery, the next step is to go inside Coit Tower where you are able to purchase tickets that will take you to the top. At the bottom, there is also a gift shop that has the typical San Francisco tourist gifts just with Coit Tower pictured on them. Around the inside of the base of Coit Tower, the walls are covered with murals. The murals were painted by over twenty different artists when it was originally built. There is typically a San Francisco City Tour Guide available to give a tour of the murals, explaining what each one is and what it stands for. If no guide is available, it is worth the time to check them out.
Although the murals are beautiful, the true beauty of Coit Tower awaits you at the top. When you are released at the top, the view will blow you away. From the top of Coit Tower, you can literally capture almost everything San Francisco has to offer. From the top, both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge are the first things you see as they span across the San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz, Angel Island, and Treasure Island are all visible in the Bay as well. You can walk around the top of Coit Tower looking out different windows they have set up at every angle allowing you to see Pier 39, Russian Hill, Nob Hill, the Financial District, Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and many other San Francisco landmarks.
The elevator ride to the top costs $3.75 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, and $1.50 for children, but the cost is no match for the view you will receive. Anyone living in or visiting San Francisco should absolutely make the short trek to Coit Tower for the most breathtaking view the city has to offer.
