A Beacon on the Hill

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High atop Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower serves as a slender white concrete emblem of the city skyline. Completed in 1933, the tower was funded by a bequest from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who wanted to beautify San Francisco. While the observation deck offers a stunning 360-degree view of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges, the real treasure is on the ground floor.

There, you can explore a series of murals for free. The tower sits within Pioneer Park, a space established in 1876 on the site of an old signal station used to warn residents of arriving ships. From the military telegraphs of the 1850s to this Art Deco landmark, the summit of the hill has always been about looking out toward the horizon.

Updated June 2026