Since Colonial times, Cerro San Cristóbal was a place of religiosity and pilgrimage, maintaining this role until today. However, it was not always as we know it today. At the end of 1700 it was used as a quarry to remove stones that were used in the construction of the Cal y Canto Bridge, the Palacio de la Moneda and for the paving of Santiago.

Later, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was chosen to install the Lick Observatory, pioneering the investigation of the skies of the southern hemisphere.

Although in 1870, the mayor Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, had pointed out the possibility of turning the Cerro San Cristóbal into a great lung for the city of Santiago, it was only from 1917 that this task began to be accomplished. Alberto Mackenna Subercaseaux, nephew of the mayor and president of the scouts, along with Senator Pedro Bannen led a campaign to achieve state’s acquisition of the land corresponding to the Cerro San Cristóbal and Santiago forest. However, this campaign would not have achieved its objective if it had not had the constant support of the Scouts, who with their symbolic rallies managed to generate social awareness of transforming it into a park for the city. Thus, on September 28, 1917, Law No. 3295 was promulgated through which the private lands on the hill were expropriated, with the exception of those located on the summit belonging to the archbishopric, destining them to the formation of a large public park.

The “laying of the first stone” ceremony took place on November 24, 1923 at the initial station, located next to the Plaza Caupolicán. This medieval tower-shaped station built with stone edged from the same hill, is the work of the renowned architect Luciano Kulczewsky, author of several buildings in Santiago and inside the park, such as the Casino Cumbre of 1923 and Casa de las Arañas of 1924.

The initial station was complemented by the Estación Cumbre, designed by architect Carlos Landa, which includes a machine room, a reception and a room known as Tudor room.

The construction of the Funicular was one of the first steps towards the great transformation project of the Cerro San Cristóbal, its main role was to be able to transport people from the base to the top of the hill quickly, but also to offer them a privileged view of the city along the way.
The initiative began to take shape in 1923 when the engineer Ernesto Bozo Pezza was awarded the project to design, build and operate for twenty years the elevator that was to link the Plaza Caupolicán with the top of the Cerro San Cristóbal.

In order to finance the project, the Sociedad Anónima Funicular San Cristóbal –a public limited company– was established, in the deed of the company a share capital of $1,200,000 chilean pesos was stipulated, divided into 60 thousand shares of $20 chilean pesos each sold to 465 people, mostly Italians.

On Saturday, April 25th, 1925, hundreds of people attended the official inauguration of the San Cristóbal Funicular, which was celebrated with a dinner in the Tudor room attended by Don Arturo Alessandri Palma along with 50 people.

The initial station was adorned with the flags of Chile and Italy, valuing the cooperation of both nations in the realization of the project.

The cars and materials of the funicular were brought from the Ceretti and Tanfani house in Milan, they had a capacity for 50 people differentiated in first and second class. The first class used the cars at the middle, which were private with curtains and seats, while the second class were outdoors and people had to travel standing.

In 1968, the wooden roof with which the funicular cars were inaugurated, was replaced by one of steel and fabric, similar to how we see it today.

Juan Pablo II arrived at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago on April 1, on a six-day visit.

His first activity was the prayer of vespers with priests, deacons and religious in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago. After this celebration, he went to the Chapter Hall of the Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Council where he met with pastors of the different Christian churches and the great rabbi of Chile.

Finally, he visited privately the premises of the Vicaria de la Solidaridad, where he had an encounter with the officials and with victims of the political repression of the dictatorship.

From the Cathedral, he went to visit the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception on the San Cristobal Hill, where he climbed through our Funicular Santiago and blessed Santiago with a powerful message for the whole country loaded with much love and peace.

On November 16, 2000, it is declared a Historical Monument for the value of its complex cable transport system and its importance as a patrimonial element of Santiago, present in the collective memory of its inhabitants.

This is the beginning of Turistik in the administration and operation of the main attractions of Cerro San Cristóbal in the Metropolitan Park.

These are the protagonists of the Funicular Santiago. Every day they receive you with their best smile, giving you the best customer service so you can live an indelible trip, full of history, towards the Summit of San Cristobal Hill, within the fourth largest urban park in the world, Parquemet.