Coit Tower (San Francisco)

Coit Tower is one of the most recognisable landmarks in San Francisco and can be seen from every corner of the city. It is a 200 feet high observation tower located at the top of Telegraph Hill, one the highest of San Francisco’s famously steep hills. It is a unique building dating from 1933 in an exuberant art deco design and like many other famous landmarks on cheap city breaks in San Francisco, has a colourful history to match. It takes its name from the eccentric socialite Lillie Hitchcock Coit whose estate paid for its construction to honour the city’s fire-fighters of which she herself was a voluntary member and its most enthusiastic advocate.

 

It gives visitors all-encompassing views of the city which includes panoramic perspectives of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Fishermen’s Wharf. However it is also a unique repository of modern art which features over 20 vivid murals depicting life during the Great Depression and controversially at the time, many frescoes contain uncompromising Communist imagery. This is one of the best places for arty short breaks in San Francisco and offers a fascinating social history insight into the times. Getting to the summit of the tower involves an arduous walk up its spiral staircase or you can be whisked up in an elevator.

 

The tower is surrounded by Pioneer Park, a lush green oasis filled with colourful flower gardens and beautifully manicured lawns. If you have a little time to spare, go and seek out the famous wild parrots of Telegraph Hill. Just below the Coit Tower is a large community of exotic wild parrots who have made their home here and are a major attraction for tourists and locals alike. Getting to Coit Tower is a delight on a San Francisco city break. You will find yourself winding your way through the ‘world’s most crookedest street’ better known as the famous Lombard Street and is itself a major San Francisco attraction.