Coit Tower
The Verdict
"Lobby and murals are free; you only pay for the elevator. Come early for the lightest crowds."
What you need to know
An Art Deco column rising 210 feet above Telegraph Hill, completed in 1933 with a bequest from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who died in 1929 and left $100,000 for the beautification of San Francisco.
What to Expect
The lobby and ground-floor murals are free; the elevator to the observation deck has a separate fee. On clear days the views stretch from the Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge. The murals were painted in 1934 by 25 artists under the Public Works of Art Project, with a theme of “Aspects of Life in California, 1934”; some imagery drew accusations of Communist sympathies and the tower briefly closed during the controversy. Early morning has the lightest crowds, and sunset draws photographers.
Getting There
Drive up to the small lot (often full), take the 39-Coit bus from Washington Square, or walk up the Filbert Steps or Greenwich Steps from the Embarcadero, through gardens and the wild parrot flock.
Filmed here
Productions the city recorded shooting at or beside Coit Tower.
- Coit Tower2m awayVenom: Let There Be Carnage 2021/The Rock 1996/The Presidio 1988/The House on Telegraph Hill 1951/The Enforcer 1976
- Telegraph Hill Blvd49m awayDoctor Dolittle 1998
- Filbert from Hyde to Leavenworth66m awayParks and Recreation 2014
- Filbert and Kearny Steps76m awayGirlBoss 2017
From the San Francisco Film Commission permit record.
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