Getting to Coit Tower on foot is no small feat. Parking on a very steep hill was a challenge in itself. That said, the views from the top are magnificent.

As I was climbing the stairs closest to Coit Tower, I noticed bricks in the stairs with names on them.  I had no idea what they were for, so I asked. This took some doing on my part since the person who was in the gift shop/museum area didn’t really know what I was talking about. I was like a dog with a bone.

The history is a little eccentric, but here goes. Built in 1932/33 using Lillie Hitchcock Coit’s bequest to beautify the city of San Francisco, Coit Tower stands majestically on a prominent hill for all to see and visit.

Turns out, however, that in 1995, the building that is considered one of San Francisco’s most iconic, was not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, so the pathways and stairs leading up to the Tower had to be improved or ahem…brought into compliance.  

The neighborhood formed a group to raise money to help with the expense of the improvements and every single brick in the staircase, and there are many, went for $500. For that donation, the donors were given recognition for their part in the improvements with their name on a brick. 

Kudos to the neighborhood for “stepping” up.