Tower Optical's coin-operated binoculars have graced scenic overlooks for 90 years—now you can buy one
The 90-year history of the binoculars bolted to scenic overlooks
Since 1933, Tower Optical has hand-built the chrome-plated binocular viewers bolted to scenic overlooks across North America. The company, which still uses 1930s machinery, is now selling a limited number of refurbished units for around $9,500, complete with original maintenance cards and new optics. With only 1,800 machines still in service, these iconic viewers are becoming collectible pieces of history.
If someone’s interested in the history of a machine, we’ll look at the maintenance cards… For example, machine #507 was manufactured in the 1950s. Our records show it went to the Staten Island Ferry in 1961, Battery Park in New York City in the ’80s, the North Carolina Zoo in the ’90s, and, most recently, Coit Tower in San Francisco.