This is a must see stop when visiting San Francisco. If you are not a walker the 39 bus goes directly to this location for $2.75. Once there you can enjoy the free view overlooking the city of San Francisco. If you like and I highly suggest you go inside to visit the upper tower for the most spectacular view of San Francisco, mostly the waterfront area. It is totally amazing!! The entrance fee is $9 for adults. When you are in line waiting the walls are covered with beautiful murals throughout. Additionally there is information about the specific time period depicted. This is a must see stop, it's inexpensive, beautiful and offers so much. If you are a walker or a person who exercises often you can try the infamous Telegraph Hill stairs. What an experience!! read more

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The artwork and views were fantastic even tho it was a rainy day with lower visability. But BEWARE. My friend has a service animal wearing a vest (which he legally does NOT have to wear). We were approached immediately by a young woman telling us to make sure the dog did not shake the water off his fur onto the paintings. Folks surrounding us pondered aloud how one would keep any dog from doing so. This is a highly trained dog. They are trained to mitigate shaking and he never did shake. Then as we were purchasing tickets Dana, the cashier, repeated the warning. My friend educated her that she needs the dog and federal laws protect them both. Dana claimed not to have seen the vest which is NOT required by law. My friend told her she was just trying to educate her for the future. Dana continued to argue. Apologies were offered followed by continued argumentation. That is not an apology. I didn't realize how often folks with handicaps face extra obstacles. Would they have asked someone in a wheelchair not to scuff the floors or a person unable to control their movements occasionally to not smack the walls? You caused extra stress to my friend which is inexcusable. I will use this incident to educate my fellow volunteers at a world famous facility. I hope this organization does the same read more

MAKE SURE ARI TAKES YOUR PICTURES!!! Ari is usually at the top of Coit and this is a woman who is just so passionate about her work, that her joy is simply contagious. She may as well be a professional photographer, hype woman, and travel advisor all in one. As a local, Coit Tower can become a bit monotonous, but Ari truly helps make it an experience. read more

I love this place, it's always calming, and relaxing. Good to socialize socialize with friends, or hang with family. Beautiful views of my city, definitely breath taking. I just love the feel of being with nature. Always a good time. My biggest pet peeve is the restroom facility, it needs more "HANDS ON CLEANING" the self cleaning function is not cutting it!! Other than that, you wont be disappointed read more

Coit Tower - Happiness in the new norm.. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had this placed bookmarked since 2014 and finally came for the first time this last weekend. My family had no clue that this place exists and was in awe when we walked up the steps. The skies were clear that day and the view was breathtaking. It's basically it's own park up there along with the beautiful murals in the tower interior. It costs $9/adult to go up the 1.20 minute elevator and onto the rooftop of the tower. The views up there are twice as remarkable as being on the ground floor. Look up and you'll be able to see the bright blue sky with clouds passing by. Perfect for timestamp videos if you ask me! You are able to stay up there for as long as you wish although I will say you'll probably spend at 15 minutes max up there to take all the pictures you wish. Each window is blocked with plastic covering but you'll still be able to take nice pictures of the city. If you parked at Pier 39, know that it only takes approximately 10-15 minutes to walk back. So on a good day, you're probably off taking a stroll down the tower! Wonderful experience for both locals and tourists alike! read more

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Our group took Filbert Steps and walked all the way up to Coit Tower. Since trees were blocking approximately 50% of city views at the base of Coit Tower, you can either (1) raise the white flag and call it a day or (2) wait in line and pay to get to the top of Coit Tower for unobstructed views. Coit Tower was completed in 1933 and there are murals on the walls that reflect the history of California's economy right after the Great Depression. Elevator entrance fee is $8 for SF residents / $9 for non-SF residents (I only paid $8 for some reason) and each brochure is $2. I came here at 3:15 PM and it took about 35 ~ 40 minutes to get to the elevator. There is only one elevator and it can carry about 10 people at a time. It was windy once I got to the top (bring extra jackets), but you do get great 360-degree views of the SF Bay. Your time on the observation deck is not limited, but I only stayed about 10 minutes and got out of the tower before 4:15 PM. Yes you can go to places like Twin Peaks or The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps for similar panoramic views for FREE with NO WAIT, but you can only get certain and clearer views (e.g. Alcatraz, Transamerica Pyramid, etc.) from Coit Tower. P.S. - Muni's #39 Coit bus connects Pier 39 (Fisherman's Wharf) to Coit Tower. Each bus ride is $2.75 per person. read more

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If you're after a observation tower, look no further than Coit Tower. It's a bit of a hike (this coming from someone who's not even slightly used to walking and hills in the same sentence. ) Admission is $8 per adult and they closed about 5-530pm. It does get crowded and they intake eight people each trip in the elevator going up and down. But once you are up there, you get a 360° view of the city of San Francisco, and the bay including the Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge. It really gives you a great perspective of where things are and the vastness of the entire area. You can easily spot Pier 39 and follow it to Ghiradelli square, then see the crooked section of Lombard Street. All in all, it was a touristy must do. Hopefully you time it with the sunshine. read more

Coit Tower - From the car park view - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

Number one tourist mistake would be to go to Coit Tower, walk around its base and not walk around the area directly below the base. This area is so gorgeous, so many different species of plants and beautiful architecture. I would advise that you enter Coit Tower from the west side, the sidewalk is really steep but it's better than walking the endless stairs on the east side. Take the east side (the side towards the water) to exit and take time going down the stairs to enjoy the views. To enter Coit, it's $9. Don't need a reservation. Line moves pretty quickly. You can honestly get great views at the base though. No reason to pay if you don't wanna. read more

Coit Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Complete shit show! We brought timed entry tickets in advance and when you arrive there are no signs or anyone to tell you that you don't need to wait in the long line of people that brought tickets when they arrived. So we waited in this long line (that let me add, blocked about 1/2 of the murals so there really wasn't a chance to see them) and finally I decided to flag down the guy at the ticket counter. He was super nice and told us to enter the gift shop and he would verify our time entry tickets. When we got in, some guy that worked there with a bright orange cap pushed past us with some guy and he wanted the ticket guy to give him a ticket for this guy because his group was waiting. OK RUDE, so I asked if he could wait until I was done and he just stormed off. The guy that was left waiting for his ticket said of course and was cool and waited. We were then told go to into the lobby area where the elevator was, so basically we were able to skip the long line with the tickets. The ticket guy told me to tell the guy in the bright orange cap that we had timed tickets...so I did and he told me to go wait on the back of the line like everyone else. OK NOW IM ANNOYED! I go back to the ticket guy and then he come around with us and tells the asshole with the bright orange hat that we had timed tickets, he looked annoyed and said fine whatever. So as we were waiting for the elevator my boyfriend and I were commenting on how this entry process with the timed ticket was basically a shit show..and here comes the asshole with the orange hat telling me to calm down, its not such a big deal...Ok first off asshole, I wasn't talking to you and second I've been waiting on a line unnecessarily past my timed entry time and then you pushed past me in the gift shop, then you disregarded me telling you I had timed tickets and banished me back to the line I was already unnecessarily waiting on. So just a heads up, if you come into contact with this guy, you have no right to complain about the sloppy, unorganized service not even to your boyfriend or friends. For $10, you get to wait for the elevator to go up, you get a view of SF and then you wait for the elevator to go down. Then don't do guided tours unless you have a special reservation for a large group, they don't take you to other floors with murals so yeah thats pretty much it and again the murals on the ground floor are pretty blocked by long lines of people waiting to go up in the elevator. Also parking is EXTREMELY limited and only for 30 minutes, so I would advise taking the bus (that didn't seem to run very often) or a lyft or uber. You can also walk, but warning the hill is pretty steep, then you come to a set of stairs at a park that will take you up the remaining climb to the tower. I would suggest getting timed tickets and when you arrive, just jump the line because you don't need to wait. They also stressed how you needed to print your tickets, im not sure if that really mattered since they gave us 2 red ticket stubs to give the asshole with the orange hat, which he never collected because he was too busy being a salty asshole! read more

My husband and I found Coit tower by accident. We actually were just trying to find parking. When we did, it was near these set of stairs. My curiosity to where the stairs and the unknown path won over my appetite. So off we went went following the stairs. We saw spectacular views if the city and the bay. Nobody was on the path we were on. We were so suprised when we reached the top. There were tour buses and lots of people looking around the tower. We learned that this tower was built for the Coit family, whose estate helped build the city of San Francisco. It just so happened that it was built...on our wedding day hahaha! Literally 24 hours before we arrived. It was fatr we found this place. We walked in and there were paintings of the different workers from long ago. So much history. We went around and found out they give tours. The tour is interesting and you can also ride the elevator up the tower and see the whole city and bay. A great panoramic shot. Overall, this is a beautiful place to learn about Sam Francisco's history even just by walking around the grounds. read more

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Amazing views of SF. We were in Chinatown and decided to walk up to Coit tower. The "hike" up gave us great views of SF and Alcatraz. Definitely glad we decided to walk instead of taking the car. The views around Coit tower are also great. 360 view of SF. A definite must visit if you are in town. Parking is available. On a side note, we walked down to the east side and all it is are stairs and houses. People have to walk up a gazillion stairs just to get home. We ran into a lady that lives there and she says Costco is a never and she buys 2 apples and a half gallon of milk. Oh my oh my... read more

Coit Tower, located in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California, offers panoramic views over the city and the bay. Advance elevator ride tickets to view spectacular 360 degree city views and reservations for guided docent led tours of the Tower murals are usually available on site or online. Driving up to the tower might be tricky and parking could potentially be hard to find but I'd still recommend giving it a shot as the views are totally worth it. read more

Coit Tower is located at the top of Telegraph Hill. It appears to look like a marble column or some sort of light at the top of a hill mound, Coit Tower stands prominently on top one of the more immediately distinguishable hills in the city. The eastern extension of Lombard Street turns into what is called Telegraph Hill Blvd which leads up the windy path up the hill to the top where a parking lot appears above all the trees and the base of the tower where there are already some good views but also stands as a high place in itself without even going up the tower. Coit Tower is essentially a great viewpoint and one of the best observation spots I've been to personally. Built in the 1930's this tower is just over 200 feet from the base but definitely offers some of the best views possible from ground level of the San Francisco area. The admission to go up the tower is nominal compared to many other observation attractions like the Space Needle in Seattle, the Prudential Center in Boston, the John Hancock Center in Chicago, the Top of the Rock in NYC or the CN Tower in Toronto. Only 9 dollars will get you up this place which is not very large but still offers 360 degree views in an open air (no roof) atmosphere. Although there's no roof I've never been there when it was raining and it doesn't rain much in California. Being that it's not very large to get all the way around makes it sort of quick but there's no rush to leave as you can spend as long as you'd like to take photos and enjoy the views at your own pace. From the top on a clear day you can see the Golden Gate bridge to the west as well as the areas towards Sausilito and Tiburon. To the north Alcatraz and the Fisherman's Wharf area and Pier 39 are easily visible. Towards the east is Richmond, Berkeley, Alameda and Oakland as well as the different sections of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. Looking south is basically the Financial District with the Transamerica Pyramid being a very distinct tower as well as the new Salesforce Tower being the tallest building in the city. South west you can see Russian Hill and the area towards Twin Peaks. If you're not into walking up the road or stairs that lead up to the tower there is a SFMTA bus (39) that goes up to the top of the hill which follows a route up the hill. The stop we waited at was at the south west corner of Union and Stockton across the street from Washington Square park in the Little Italy area. I've been to Coit Tower 4 times in my life and I have to say I don't ever mind returning. I really enjoy San Francisco and the views from here are great as long as it's a clear day. For under 10 dollars this is one of the more affordable observation attractions in the country. read more

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Haven't been here in years. I on a weekday so wasn't too crowded. To get here I took the Filbert steps which were so nice. Inside Coit Tower to get to the top you take an elevator. It was eight dollars or five dollars for seniors. I believe it's 85 years old (The elevator inside) all the workers were very nice and it views were amazing. Being there reminded me of the old Clint Eastwood movies LOL read more

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Another great San Francisco landmark to check out!! Sometimes I realize how lucky I am to live in the Bay Area, where you can have a great staycation!! The line was pretty long, about an hour wait, but it seemed to go pretty fast. Inside they have walls full of very nice Murals, along with the history of the Tower, some very good and interesting reads. The elevator was straight old school, maybe holds 8 people tops along with the elevator operator, it's a slow roll to the top. The views at the the top were great, well worth the $8 ($5 for youths and seniors). The people working there were very friendly. Definitely a must see if you're in the City!! read more

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I feel like Coit Tower is one of those places that anyone who visits or has lived in SF/Bay Area is familiar with. I remember almost ten years ago when I was first getting back into Photography it was in a lot of photos I took of SF. If you are a local and think maybe you don't need to hit this "touristy" spot then think again. Coit Tower is beautiful and once you make that trek up hills and then in elevator to get to the top you understand why. They offer tours that give history on it and the murals inside, but you can opt to just take the old-school elevator up. It's about $10 for adults if I remember correctly, but you get a 360 degree view of most of the city. If you are looking for a nice little day-walk and views don't sleep on Coit Tower. read more

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° It's good ° Liked it ° Is tall ° Nice 360° views of SF ° On Telegraph Hill ° Very tower-y ° Not many cats. Few dogs also ° Named after Coit ° Much murals inside ° Friendly employees ° Elevator only - no stairs ($8 adult / $3 kids) ° Multiple photo ops ° Exit through the gift shop ° Hand stamp for repeat endeavors ° Restrooms inside tower ° Check scheduled hours for going inside ° Public transportation takes you here - warning buses coming here were all full, ended up using Lyft for $8. ° Walked 1/2 mile down, more trans here to get back by Union Square (use Google maps for options and times) read more

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Overlook the entire city Only if you want a vantage point of 360 deg around the entire city, it's worth it to go up the Coit Tower. It's $8 to take the elevators up to the top. The top of the tower doesn't have much else besides the amazing views of San Francisco, just the brick interior/exterior feel. Obviously, coming on a clear day is better. There's a gift shop downstairs. The tower is accessible by foot, car or bus. It's mainly for tourists, but it's not that crowded. read more

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We didn't come here to go inside and take the elevator to the top. Coit Tower just ended up being the apex of the urban hike we were taking up and down Filbert and Greenwich Streets. The surrounding area of the tower is great. A nice shaded respite from the sun and an amazing place to get a good view of the city. Given it's 360 nature you can really see a lot out, especially on a clear blue day. I know nothing of these so called parrots (I actually only just read about them now, as I was preparing to write this review). We were up here for a good 10 minutes before heading back down and didn't see any. I guess you have to really be paying attention at the right time. :) I would say it's quite the experience to come up here and am surprised I've never done it in all the times I've been to SF. Definitely recommend it. read more

Coit Tower - Great views - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Mesmerizing views! Nothing short of spectacular. Beautiful city and Bay views from the top. Bring your SLR for those amazing shots. 360 degrees view of the Bay - Alcatraz, Bay bridge, Sausalito and the city. Parking can be bit of a challenge as you can clearly see from the photographs. Come in early to avoid the parking queue. They charge $8 for the elevator ride and close by 4:30pm. If you like walking - There is a flight of beautiful steps which lead up to to this structure : Locally know as Filbert steps. Tips: 1. Choose a bright, sunny day for Bay views. 2. If you are planning to take elder folks, be prepared for the flight of steep stairs. 3. Come early to avoid the long wait lines. Typical wait time of 1 hour or more during peak weekend hours. 4. Bring a jacket as it gets windy on the top. 5. Park at Embercado and Uber to Coit Towers :) Highly recommended! Must visit! read more

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This is a "touristy" thing you owe yourself. I resisted for decades but this is a wonderful throwback to old SF. I've now been a few times and have never had to wait long. Last week we went on a weekday and parked right in front and walked right in. The murals are beautiful and the view is breathtaking. The giftshop is quaint. Check it out! read more

Great destination for anyone visiting SF, and locals too. As a a local, take advantage of your SF Library Card for the "Discover and Go" pass, where you can get tickets to Coit Tower 1x/year for 2 adults + 2 children under 18 for FREE! Otherwise it's a $8 entrance fee. Just went today, and they even let us cut the line! Super awesome. It's a great view of the city, that looks out 360 degrees. You can see Lombard street, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Treasure Island, Bay Bridge, the TransAmerica building, Salesforce Tower, and Sutro Tower. Great for photo ops! read more

Coit Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

Splendid view of the San Francisco Bay. The cost is steep to climb 230 or so odd steps to the top of the tower. You money is better spent in other San Francisco establishments. read more

Having seen Coit Tower from afar, it was nice to see to finally see how it looked like up close. My friends and I took a Lyft here to avoid walking up the hills and I'm glad because the walk back down was fairly steep! It's about a mile walk (30ish minutes) from Union Square and you'll end up with great views even if you don't go to the top of the tower. Most importantly, there's a self-cleaning toilet outside that was consistently busy with a line. There's also bathrooms inside the lobby of Coit Tower located right near the entrance and can easily by missed. (Women's on the left, men's on the right!) To go up Coit Tower, my friend bought us SF resident tickets at $6 each . If you have a SF library card, you'll be able to get 2 FREE tickets via the Discover and Go program. Score! We waited about an hour just to go up the elevator. After you take the elevator, you'd still have to climb two short flights of stairs. The views at the top are nice with a 360 view of the city, but it'll only take up maybe 5-10 minutes of your time depending on how much time you spend taking photos. Only certain windows are unlocked for you to peek out of, so there are occasional waits there. Worth going up at least once. Otherwise, seems like a great place to walk to enjoy the city views. read more

Coit Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ticket salesman conveniently didn't inform us that the elevator was broken before we spent $50 in tickets . The staff person to the stairs and the staff person on the 2nd level were very rude. But I made sure I wasn't rude in return because I knew they were only doing their job to protect the place. But beware 230+ steps to the small observation tower at the top. read more

A beautiful location to visit either before sunrise or just as the sun is setting! You can make it to the top of Coit tower either by foot or by taking the muni bus. You can always drive your own vehicle but parking is limited and due to high tourist foot traffic I wouldn't recommend it. A must see during your time in San Francisco, you get a great landscape view of the surroundings. read more

Coit Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The first time I visited Coit Tower was at least 20 years ago when my pops took my sister and I here. At the time, I had no idea where I was or the significance of this tower. I just remember a whole lotta steps and racing my sister to the top. Recently, my friend and I were in the neighborhood and we decided to take a stroll to Coit Tower. We didn't go up to the top but still found amazing views of SF at the bottom. I didn't seek out more information about the significance of the tower but I did learn about a house nearby where birds would flock to for food and shelter. Cool story bro. read more

Coit Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a cool tower that we visited while we were in the area. It had some good ambience to it had made for a walking path next to it and it was a cool sightseeing tour for sure read more

Coit tower was a place I wanted to visit since I was a boy but somehow never even made it to the foot of the hill. But, alas late better than never. My friend booked a tour online which was free but you will be asked to make donation of any amount which goes to the preservation of the city. Good cause and no pressure here. The tour was very detailed plus you get to see the paintings in the stairs going up to the second floor. Only 6 guests are allowed each time so this was a very privileged opportunity. Overall, I highly recommend it if you are into art, and the stories were way more than meets the eye. There was a $8 fee to go up the tower on the elevator, otherwise everything else is free. A quintessential San Francisco experience, so don't miss it like I did in all these years. read more

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Sitting atop the highest point, Coit Tower provides visitors with magnificent birds-eye views from its observation deck. As we explored San Francisco on foot, the Tower stood tall and seemed to always be in view. Although you can drive up or take the bus, we decided to walk there from Chinatown which took about 30 minutes with much of the walk being uphill. Once we arrived in the early afternoon, there was a pretty long line of guests already wrapping around the ground floor. While in line, we approached the cashier's window to pay our admission fee ($9 / adult), and in turn each received a hand stamp as a ticket to the top. Keep in mind, there is only one elevator that that brings guests both up and down from the observation deck, and holds just eight people per trip. While waiting, take a look at the detailed murals covering walls and read their historical descriptions for some context. As a note, there are no food or drinks allowed in Coit Tower, which I learned when my drink was confiscated by one staff member. She strictly enforced this rule on all guests and was even very particular about how people stood in line... for example, we were to stand all the way to the left, but not touch the railing. I didn't mind her pointing out the rules and expectations, but her demeanor came across as demanding and abrasive. After an elevator ride and short climb up a staircase, we were greeted by sunny 360-views of the city at each of the various lookout points. About half of the lookouts (alternating) have a window which helps block the wind, but the others are open so that you can capture clear photos without reflections from the glass. It was amazing to gaze out at the picture-perfect view of the entire Bay, Lombard Street in the distance and the Financial District skyline. From up above, we spotted all the landmarks we had visited and I couldn't believe how much of the city we had covered on foot! The observation deck area is smaller than I expected, but surprisingly never got too crowded there is a happy medium between people entering and leaving. We spent about 30 minutes enjoying the sights before making our way back down. This is certainly a memorable attraction that I'd recommend to both visitors and locals alike! read more

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The view alone is reason to come up here! The sunsets are amazing and the 360 views of the city are epic. This is a must see view if your driving around SF, the drive up is fun and winds up the hill and parking is usually very easy to find but it can get busy. Some brave individuals walk up and I've seen some stair leading up; looks like a tough workout! read more

Been here numerous times and I cannot get tired of it. The walk up to Coit tower from Montgomery or union street is just beautiful. Walking through the neighborhoods of SF and getting sneak peek views of Bay Bridge as you go up. It's just beautiful. Once up there (oh, and there will be steps to get up there!!!) the views are so rewarding. Breathtaking glimpses of Golden Gate, Alcatraz, Bay Bridge and everything in between. I recommend to visit this spot during the day, sunset and post sunset time for three different experiences. Have not yet visited the tower from within though. Maybe one day when it's not super crowded. Make sure to enter the tower from different point of entries and exit through the secret gardens that are all over. This makes the experience even more rewarding :) read more

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For $10, you can take the elevator to the top to see SF, Bay Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz and across the East Bay. Well worth the walk on steep hills. read more

Coit Tower - On top of Coit Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Headed to Coit Tower as part of a family adventure in San Francisco for the weekend. The climb up the pedestrian trail or stairs is steep so expect to get a good workout if you do not choose to drive and park in the tower parking lot. The view from the parking itself is pretty amazing. You can see the Golden Gate Bridge, bay bridge, Lombard street and more. Inside the tower there are beautiful murals that tell the history of the city of San Francisco as well as how Coit Tower came to be. Come early to see the tower as wait times to travel to the top can become quite long. We arrived fairly early and had a wait time of 25 minutes AFTER purchasing our tickets. We had waited about 15 to pay. When we came down from the top of the tower the wait time had increased to 45 minutes so keep that in mind. The views from the top of the tower were breathtaking. You had full 360 views of the city and with an excellent camera you can get some amazing photographs. Enjoy this wonderful historical site. read more

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We got here on Friday morning at 10am. There were only a few cars in the lot so it wasn't crowded (yet). It was a clear day and we got some pretty good views but we decided to go up to the tower. We paid the $9 admission fee and got our hand stamp (which was our ticket). Be careful of this stamp bc it never really fully dried and it rubbed off on my sleeve and on my other hand even an hr afterwards! Dan was our elevator operator. He had jokes and entertained us for the 70 seconds it took to get to the top. He was very friendly. You'll have to walk up 2 flights of whiny stairs. Once at the top, there were only a few windows opened so we had to take turns looking out and taking pictures if you didn't want that window glare. There were only a handful of people upstairs at the time. The views from the top were amazing since it was a clear sunny day! 360 view of SF! As we were leaving, a group of teenagers were coming up and many more downstairs. So luckily we got there before the crowd! You'll also have to wait for the elevator to come back up. There isn't a call button but I think there are cameras so they know someone is waiting. Dan came back to get us and was once again "coit" entertaining :) read more

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When we came here for our SF visit with my college roomies, this was a fun little stop. I'm such a tourist, and I love it! I'm the one buying all the magnets and hats that say I broke out of Alcatraz. This place has a great view and it's just fun to breathe in the fresh air here. read more

Sitting on top of Telegraph Hill offering great views of the both the city and the bay. just below is Washington Square park. It is a San Francisco landmark. You can ride the elevator for $9 but admission is free. Parking is a major problem. read more

Coit Tower - Coit Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Francisco, California

If you're willing to climb a lot of steps and get a lot of exercise then this is for you. However, the steps are only to get to the tower unless you drive a car to the parking lot just below. I hoofed it from Little Italy and it was a bit tiring for me cause I'm not in the best physical condition. The price for admission is $9 for general admission and $6 for seniors above 62. From there you will get to the top via a very old elevator (with new cables and machinery of course). I have to add that the young man operating the elevator really added an extra amount of joy to the experience. He was very friendly and upbeat !!! as well as engaging. At the top you'll experience the most fantastic view of San Francisco that you can only imagine. Well worth the effort. read more

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It's sad that visitors from around the world have come to see our Coit Tower, but my wife and I, long time Bay Area residents, had never been inside! Visiting San Francisco for a weekend, and upon arising on Sunday finding an unexpectedly sunny day, we committed to checking this one off our list. It was an easy Uber ride from Embarcadero Center (and no need to worry about parking). It was a rare nice day after our season of storms and the view from just the parking lot was beautiful in all directions. Even if that's all you have time for, it's worth stopping by. But the best part is inside the tower. It's eight dollars a person to ride the elevator to the top, and there was a moderate wait to go up. The elevator is the original 1933 from Otis and is the busiest elevator in San Francisco, ferrying visitors nonstop seven days a week. The elevator operator assured us that although it's an original, the elevator cable and related accessories have been refreshed recently! Out of the elevator a short set of stairs leads to the top, and although some have mentioned the stairs are narrow, we did not find them so, and certainly nothing even remotely close to claustrophobic. The circular top of the tower gives you gorgeous 360° views of San Francisco and environs. You can take your time at the top, enjoying the view and snapping pics. Bring your good camera if you have one, these scenic views are a bit above the paygrade for your average smart phone. Afterwards we wandered around the ground floor enjoying the Depression-era WPA murals, remarkably still in wonderful condition after all these years. Helpful signs give background on each mural and the creating artist. The murals beautifully represent 1930s California - they are like looking through a portal to the past. This "mural museum" is definitely worth your time. What about taking the stairs all the way to the top of the tower? Those stairs have been closed - too many people were writing on the nearby wall murals. Instead, there are private tours that take you to the second level and the beautiful murals there. For us, that would have to wait for another day. read more

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The view up there. Sitting atop Telegraph Hill is Coit Tower. We all know the story of how Lillian Coit left a third of her estate for the beautification of the city after she passed away in 1929. There's also rumors that the design of the tower is modeled to look like a fire hose nozzle due to her affinity to firefighters back in the day. Maybe it was a coincidence, but we'll have to ask the architect, Arthur Brown, who designed this art deco memorial. Maybe he knew Lillian Coit's affairs back in the day and it was a subtle hint and homage. Rumors aside, Brown is also the architect to a lot of buildings and structures from here all the way to San Diego have similar designs and feel to his work. His works include SF City Hall, War Memorial Opera House, Temple Emanu-El, PG&E Building, Pasadena City Hall, Berkeley City Hall, Transbay Terminal and Union Station in San Diego to name a few. His designs all have that certain look to it that emotes strength, size and boldness. Inside the tower are fresco murals made by 27 different artists that were recently restored to look like the original murals as it was meant to be seen. Most of the murals depict working class American citizens and their struggle during that era. It is also important to point out that when they were painting this murals from 1933 - 1934, it was a challenging time for the nation as it was during the great depression of some of the murals were viewed anti-government and communistic in nature. Gee, I guess nothing much has changed since then. To this day, it is one of the civic prides of the city and especially when the tower is lit in different colors to honor our local sports teams. It is quite striking to see it lit at night in either orange & black, red & gold and blue & gold. As for the view on top, I've never actually been on the very top of the tower and heard the views are spectacular. However, I'll settle for a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge and the Transamerica Pyramid, which are not too shabby from down there. You'll see some gorgeous sunsets looking west towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Another rumor is that this is where locals hang out to make out. I cannot deny nor confirm this rumor as they come from unreliable sources. read more

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