Coit Tower, San Francisco, CA

 

Coit Tower is popular for its amazing view of the city.  There are views from the base of the tower.  A short elevator ride and two flights of steps yield a full 360 degrees vista.

I went to see the wonderful murals on the bottom floor of the Tower.  These were painted in 1934 as part of a PWAP (Public Works of Art Project).  They are true murals with twenty-five artists painting into wet plaster.  The colors are vibrant and many look like colored pencils drawings.  The works are an homage to the ordinary people of California.  There is a cowboy, men working in vineyards, dairy farmers, newspaper worker, factory workers and more.  The most intriguing is a scene of a library.  One man reaches for a volume of Karl Marx.  The murals were condemned as "Communism!" at the time and have remained controversial.  The figures are larger than life-size and the work is detailed and compelling.  The artists were men and women and the murals represent a slice of California life with faces of many ethnicities.  

We walked up from Chinatown and the climb is harrowing!  You can also drive to the base of the Tower and there is limited parking.  There are several steps up to the entrance of the Tower and two flights to reach the observatory floor (after an elevator ride).  There is admission charged, with a discount for city residents.  There are restrooms and there were a small snack stand.