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SF’s Coit Tower Reopens on June 17

Iconic 210-foot tall column with observation deck and 26 depression-era murals opens for first time in 15 months.
By - posted 6/16/2021 No Comment

Coit Tower, the iconic white column defining the San Francisco skyline, will welcome visitors Thursday, June 17 for the first time in 15 months, Mayor London N. Breed announced today.

The 210-foot welcoming beacon, which also houses the largest Depression Era art collection in the U.S., normally sees up to 1,500 visitors a day. Health orders shuttered the National Historic Site March 15, 2020.

Coit Tower will resume selling tickets for elevator rides to its observation deck, where sightseers can enjoy 360-degree views of the City and the San Francisco Bay. Masks are required in the elevator.

Visitors can admire the 26 murals inside the tower’s base for free. The frescoes, which depict life in California during the Depression, were painted in 1934 by artists employed by the Public Works of Art Project, a precursor to the Works Progress Administration.

Coit Tower
Reopening June 17, 2021
Open 7 days a week | 10am to 6pm (closes at 5pm Nov to March)
– Visiting 26 murals in tower’s base (self guided tour) – FREE

Elevator Entrance Fees to Observation Deck
Limited to 16 timed tickets per hour. Masks required in elevator.

  • Adult: $7.50 SF Residents, $10 Non-Residents
  • Senior (62+) $7.50 SF Residents, $8 Non-Residents
  • Youth (12-17) $7.50 SF Residents, $8 Non-Residents
  • Child (3-11) $3
  • Child (2 & under) Free for all

Guided Group Tours ($6-8)
Docent-led tours are available to visitors with a complete tour of the Tower including the murals. Guided tours of the artwork will be limited to six people at one time. The length of the tour is about 30 – 40 minutes. Visitors will learn about the Tower’s inception, the Public Work of Art Projects’ influence, and history of the 26 artists.

Please note we don’t know for sure, but it’s unlikely that the guided tours include elevator access to the observation deck.

  • A $8 fee per person will be charged for a full tour of the murals.
  • A $5 fee per person will be charged for a tour of the second floor only.

Reserve tickets in advance (subject to service fee)

Guided tours of the artwork will be limited to six people at one time. Coit Tower’s gift shop and café kiosk will also re-open Thursday.

The simple fluted tower is named for Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a famously eccentric patron of the City’s firefighters. Coit died in 1929, leaving a substantial bequest “for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city I have always loved.” The funds were used to build both the tower and a monument to Coit’s beloved volunteer firefighters, in nearby Washington Square. Coit Tower was completed in 1933.

Coit Tower is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday. For more information, visit Coit Tower online.