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| Christopher Columbus in front of Coit Tower |
Great Views from Telegraph Hill
Getting to Coit Tower can be a little tricky as you navigate
yourself around some of the one way streets in San Francisco. However, there
are a few of ways for which you can get there, for the fit and adventurous type,
you can park at Filbert Street or Greenwich Street and take the stairs navigating
your way up to the tower. I will admit that parking is not that easy and you
may find yourself parking further down the hill and then walking right back up
to the stairs.
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| Plaque Outside Main Entrance |
For those who are less adventurous can drive up Telegraph Hill
Boulevard and park at the base of the tower. There isn’t much parking at the
base and sometimes there may be a line of cars along Telegraph Hill Boulevard
waiting for parking. But I never really had to wait that long as cars are
going in and out of the area quite frequently. However, I don’t want to
mislead you I know on occasion it can back up and take a little while. There
is also a Muni Bus that will take you from Fisherman’s Wharf to the tower and
you can find this information by visiting, http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asystem/routedesc.php?rted=39.
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| Main Parking |
Probably the best thing to do after you visit Fisherman’s Wharf, is to drive
up the hill on Hyde Street heading south to Lombard Street (actually pass
Lombard to the next street and turn left, make are u-turn and then right again
on Hyde and right on Lombard) and enjoy the crooked street at Lombard and
continue your drive east to Coit Tower. You’ll get to enjoy some of the steep
terrain in San Francisco. I wouldn’t recommend driving a stick shift unless
you are really good on the hills.
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| Murals Inside Tower 1st Level |
No matter what method you chose to get there, I put the
addresses below to help you find your way. Once you park at the base, there is
no meter parking or any other fee which is great…parking is free. The only fee
you will pay is at the gift store when you buy your tickets to go to the top or
25 cents for the coin operated binoculars situated around the parking area.
Upon arriving the is plenty of opportunity to catch a scenic picture on the
park grounds or take a snap shot in front of the statue of Christopher Columbus
situated in front of the tower’s entrance.
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| Murals Inside Tower 1st Level |
When you make your way into the tower you will see some of
the many murals painted within the tower walls. Murals are seen within many
parts of San Francisco and are a part of its rich history. When you are ready
to go to the top, purchase your tickets at the gift shop counter and remember
the cashier will only accept cash. There are different prices for various age
groups and at the time of this posting the most expensive price per person was
$7.00. After paying the cashier your receipt is your ticket to the top, there
will be a line waiting for the elevator and when I went this time around there
were three people in front of me. I’ve gone when the line was around the tower
but again I never really remember it taking too long.
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| Stairs to the Top |
The elevator can house approximately 9-10 people including
the elevator operator and as she takes you to the top perhaps she will tell you
how many floors and how long it takes to get to reach all 210 feet. When you
exit there is another 37 steps or so to finally get to the top. Once there,
the views are great! You can see the Golden Gate Bridge, views of the city and
the bay. Its open air tower with roman style arches encircling it. For each
viewing area there is a glass partition with coins from around the world
distributed along each ledge. I still haven’t figured out how they got there?
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| Window to the Views |
When you’re finally finished enjoying the spectacular views,
you’ll head down the 37 or so steps to the elevator and wait for your ride
down. Sometimes if you happen to go at a busy time of the day, you’ll have to
wait here too and possibly up and along the steps. But again, I never really
thought it took too long perhaps 15-20 minutes tops. Some may differ with me
but that’s what I experienced.
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| City View from Tower |
I would put Coit Tower on the things to do on the San
Francisco list mainly because of the fantastic view and while you’re there take
some time to read about Coit Tower and its history…it’s truly a great story.
Here are some addresses to help you get to Coit Tower.
- 1 Telegraph Hill Boulevard - Main Entrance and Parking
- 403 Filbert Street - Residential Parking
- 425 Greenwich Street - Residential Parking
Travel Score:
Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf, Hyde Street, Lombard Street, Christopher Columbus
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