Cooling tower is analyzed as an assembly of layered nonlinear shell elements. Geometric representation of the shell is enabled through layered nonlinear shell elements to define the different layers of reinforcements and concrete by considering the material nonlinearity of each layer for the cooling tower shell. Modal analysis using Ritz vector analysis and nonlinear time history analysis by direct integration method have been carried out to study the effects of the inclination of the supporting columns of the cooling tower shell on its dynamic characteristics. The cooling tower is supported by I-type columns and ${Lambda}$-type columns supports having the different inclination angles. Relevant comparisons of the dynamic response of the structural system at the base level (at the junction of the column and shell), throat level and at the top of the tower have been made. Dynamic response of the cooling tower is found to be significantly sensitive to the change of the inclination of the supporting columns. It is also found that the stiffness of the structure system increases with increase in inclination angle of the supporting columns, resulting in decrease of the period of the structural system. The participation of the stiffness of the tower in structural response of the cooling tower is fund to be dependent of the change in the inclination angle and even in the types of the supporting columns.