Prior to establishment of the park, it was the site of the Marine Telegraph Station.

[1] A bronze statue of Christopher Columbus was placed in the park in 1957, and removed in June, 2020.

[2] After a storm destroyed the Marine Telegraph Station at the top of Telegraph Hill in 1876, George Hearst purchased the property and donated it to the city under the stipulation that the land be dubbed "Pioneer Park."

To engage the public, an observatory and bar was built on the property in the style of a German castle.

The money was ultimately used to construct Coit Tower, the primary feature of the park.