Coit Tower

Murals below, the whole city from the top

Tickets: Ground floor free; observation deck paid
Address: Top of Telegraph Hill, up the Filbert Street steps

A white fluted column rises from the hilltop. The ground-floor lobby is wrapped in Depression-era murals you can see for free. Take the elevator up and the Golden Gate, Bay Bridge and Alcatraz circle around you. The Filbert Steps up from below wind through gardens and make a decent workout.