Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"Coit Tower, also known as the Lillian Coit Memorial Tower, is a 210-foot (64 m) tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built in 1933 using Lillie Hitchcock Coit's bequest to beautify the city of San Francisco; at her death in 1929 Coit left one-third of her estate to the city for civic beautification. The tower was proposed in 1931 as an appropriate use of Coit's gift.
The art deco tower, built of unpainted reinforced concrete, was designed by architects Arthur Brown, Jr. and Henry Howard, with fresco murals by 27 different on-site artists and their numerous assistants, plus two additional paintings installed after creation off-site. Although an apocryphal story claims that the tower was designed to resemble a fire hose nozzle[2] due Coit's affinity with the San Francisco firefighters of the day, the resemblance is coincidental...
The tower, which stands atop Telegraph Hill in San Francisco's Pioneer Park, offers fantastic views of San Francisco including the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park ("Aquatic Park"), Alcatraz, Pier 39, Angel Island, Treasure Island, the Bay Bridge, Russian Hill, the Financial District, Lombard Street, and Nob Hill."
This tourism website (
visit link) adds:
"The Story of Lillie Hitchcock Coit & The Building of Coit Tower
Lillie Hitchcock Coit was the San Francisco resident that donated the money to build the tower. She was an eccentric character, a little rowdy, but well liked by the community.
She moved to San Francisco when she was young. She was from a wealthy family.
Shortly after moving to San Francisco, the firemen from Local #5 saved her from a fire. From then on, she spent most of her time at the firehouse. She was around so often that they named her their official 'mascot'.
In 1868, she married Howard Coit. They separated seven years later, but never divorced.
After a close family member was murdered, she fled the country. She lived in Europe for more than 20 years. She finally returned to her beloved San Francisco after the murderer died.
Shortly after her return, she became sick. She died in 1929 and donated one third of her money, $118k, to the city of San Francisco.
Rumors about Lillie Hitchcock Coit and the real meaning of the tower continue to swirl. Many believe the tower is in the shape of a fire hose -- on the request of Coit since she spent so much of her time with Local #5.
The reality is that the board of supervisors for the city of San Francisco made the decision on the final landmark that would bear Coit's name. She did not give any guidance except to use the money to increase the beauty of her home, San Francisco...
The main level of this San Francisco tower is free. You can walk around to view the murals at no cost. They are not labeled though, so if you want to learn more I recommend the two options listed right above.
You can also head up to the top for 360° views of San Francisco. It's $5 to go up the elevator. From there, you will need to walk 40 or so stairs to the top. The stairs are pretty steep and usually a little crowded, so plan a little time to make your way up to the top.
The windows in the observation deck are small, but give you great views around the city. You can stay on the observation deck for as long as you like. When you are done, you usually have to wait in line again for the elevator to get down to the first floor.
The tower is open daily from 10am to 5:30pm between 3/1 - 9/30. It is open from 9am to 4:30pm between 10/1 - 2/28. Coit Tower is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve."