Ĭoit Tower was paid for with money left by Lillie Hitchcock Coit (1843–1929), a wealthy socialite who loved to chase fires in the early days of the city's history. Telegraph Hill, the tower's location, has been described as "the most optimal 360 degree viewing point to the San Francisco Bay and five surrounding counties." In 1849, it became the site of a two-story observation deck, from which information about incoming ships was broadcast to city residents using an optical semaphore system, replaced in 1853 by an electrical telegraph that was destroyed by a storm in 1870. Īlthough an apocryphal story claims that the tower was designed to resemble a fire hose nozzle due to Coit's affinity with the San Francisco firefighters of the day, the resemblance is coincidental. It was commissioned by the architect and cast as part of the building. A concrete relief of a phoenix by sculptor Robert Boardman Howard is placed above the main entrance. The structure was dedicated to the volunteer firemen who had died in San Francisco's five major fires.
COIT TOWER PLUS
The interior features fresco murals in the American fresco mural painting style, painted by 25 different onsite artists and their numerous assistants, plus two additional paintings installed after creation offsite. The Art Deco tower, built of unpainted reinforced concrete, was designed by architects Arthur Brown Jr. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 29, 2008. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built between 19 using Lillie Hitchcock Coit's bequest to beautify the city of San Francisco. It was well worth the trip and we enjoyed our 60 minutes there.37☄8′09″N 122☂4′21″W / 37.80250°N 122.40583°W / 37.80250 -122.40583Ĭoit Tower (also known as the Coit Memorial Tower) is a 210-foot (64 m) tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California, overlooking the city and San Francisco Bay. There is a line for the elevator down as well. The view was fantastic! We spent time looking for famous landmarks and just taking in the view.
COIT TOWER WINDOWS
The top of the tower is open and you view the city through sets of three windows as you move around the tower. He answered the obligatory questions (how many stories (11), how long is the trip, do we have to get back on right away) and then we were there. The ride is about five minutes and the elevator operator was cheery.
It still took 10-15 minutes in line to get the elevator. We were there in March so the line was short. You buy the $10 ticket first and get in line for the elevator, which holds about 6-7 people. The view from the parking lot observatory is very good but you have to go inside the tower and take an elevator to the top to really get the view. When we visited Fisherman's Wharf, we saw a bus marked Coit Tower picking people up so that is probably a better option. However, there are maybe 15 spots so don't try it if you aren't feeling lucky. We were visiting family on a rainy day so we drove up there and actually found an open parking spot. It isn't easy to get there but it's worth the view. If you want a fantastic view of the San Francisco area, make a stop at the Coit Tower.
0 kommentar(er)
