The statue of Christopher Columbus was commissioned by San Francisco's large Italian-American community. It was cast in Verona, Italy, in 1957 and shipped to San Francisco. The sculptor was Count Vittorio di Colbertaldo of Verona, a member of Benito Mussolini’s ceremonial bodyguard, the Black Musketeers.

On June 18, 2020, during the George Floyd protests, city workers removed the statue and placed it in storage.

Coit Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 as listing #07001468. Coit Tower is also San Francisco Landmark 165.