Alcatraz Island, California, United States
4.5 (55.9k reviews) Spent 2-3 hours Ranking #2 in San Francisco Historic Sites • Islands
Hard Time, Now Historic
Alcatraz Island was once the most secure federal prison in the U.S., and held notorious inmates like Al Capone. After being decommissioned in 1963, the prison is now a museum, welcoming millions of curious travelers every year. Catch the ferry on Pier 33 to Alcatraz and explore the island at your own pace as you soak up the views of San Francisco and the bay. You can take a guided tour with a park ranger to learn more about the intriguing anecdotes about the facility’s fascinating history. But book your spots early—tickets sell out fast. – Tripadvisor
Address
, San Francisco, California, United States, Postal Code: 94133.
Mobile
Website
http://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm
Current local date and time now
Friday, May 03, 2024, 2:53
User Ratings
4.5 based on (55.9k reviews)
Reviews
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5publiussulla 5:00 PM Oct 16, 2021
Great place to visit!!!
This is someplace that has been on my bucket list for a number of years. So a few things I like to know about someplace before I go is the tour self guided or by guided tour only? This was a self guided tour with lots of displays with more info for each place you stop along the audio guide route. The boat trip only took I think 15 to 20 mins and the boat was crowded and was the dock when we got to the island. The prison is on top of a steep incline took about 15 mins to get to the top and we went in to start our tour. It took about an hour to get through the whole audio guide and there are a few steps but the area being seen is flat and on one level. There are several places that are closed off and not viewable by the public. The gift shop was very picked over on the way out of the prison block they were either out of stock or did not restock otherwise I would have picked a tshirt for sure. Overall was a great visit and would highly recommend this informative and visually stimulating experience (stunning views of the bay and San Francisco) to anybody in the bay area with half a day that needs to be filled.
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5TravelSouthGA 5:00 PM Aug 14, 2021
Hard Time, Now Historic
The prisoners who were once on Alcatraz were doing hard time and the worst of the worst. Now, you can see and learn about what life was like for those men and the men who guarded them. Surprisingly, the wardens had an actual mansion on the island and the guards lived in apartments on the island with their families! The ferry boat ride over and back is definitely a big part of the experience as you approach and leave the island and can see the bay and San Francisco also. Once on Alcatraz, the Park Service ranger gives you an overview and then you can tour the main prison building (cellhouse) and other limited areas. I definitely recommend the included audio tour, where you hear the voices of some actual prisoners and guards describing what life was like. They also explain and there is a current exhibit about the American Indian occupation that took place after the prison closed. It too was an important piece of American history to know about. We booked through the authorized (by the Park Service) provider, Alcatraz CityCruises via their web site. Reservations in advance are recommended and they leave out of Pier 33 in the Fisherman's Wharf area. They recommend arriving 30 minutes or more early. We did and were actually able to get on a boat that was just getting ready to leave (otherwise we would have had to stand in line for 30 minutes for our scheduled departure).
