Sutro Tower Turned 50 • July 4, 2023

Sutro Tower Illuminated San Francisco with "City of Awe" Exhibit in Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Tower

Sutro Tower, the iconic San Francisco TV and radio tower, was illuminated as the second installation of the "Summer of Awe" campaign from July 4th through July 8th.

Twelve multi-colored lasers stationed at the base of Sutro Tower created a “sea of lights” that were visible throughout San Francisco from sunset to midnight for five days.

The exhibit was designed as a celebration of San Francisco to mark the 50th anniversary of Sutro Tower, which broadcast its first transmissions on July 4th, 1973.

The installation, created by Illuminate, included 12 multi-colored lasers stationed at the base of Sutro Tower, creating a vibrant sea of lights emanating from Twin Peaks. 

“Since 1973, I have stood as a beacon for San Francisco, broadcasting everything from tv and radio stations to communications for private companies, taxis, first responders, and public safety agencies. While I am proud of my iconic white and aviation orange coloring, I am even more proud to now broadcast something new to San Francisco: a multi-colored light display that represents a celebration of the diversity and beauty of our wonderful city,” said Sutro Tower.

In the mid-1960s, local television stations conceived a project to improve reception throughout the Bay Area, and build a  tower taller than the 588-foot structure that previously stood on the site.  Sutro Tower was designed to accommodate most of the stations in the Bay Area, standing 977 feet high located just southeast of San Francisco’s Mount Sutro, with its base at an elevation of 834 feet. Its highest antennas are 1811 feet above sea level, so clear signals can be transmitted throughout the Bay Area. Its three legs are embedded in 15 million pounds of cement, and its towers are made of 3.5 million pounds of steel.

Sutro Tower is operated by Sutro Tower, Inc., a company owned by television stations KTVU, KRON, KPIX, and KGO. The tower houses antennas for the stations and enables equal access for leased antenna space to other local TV stations, radio stations, public agencies,  satellite companies, and other telecommunications clients.