Such a cool and unique experience. Went here on a family vacation. It's just so interesting that you can visit this island that was made as a prison. It's unlike any other tour. It's cool and spooky and you learn a lot! Would definitely recommend others to try it out!
Devin Ganka
Apr 22, 2022
Love the history!! The audio tour was actually really good and informative. From the moment you step on the island you can feel the history. That’s something I love about old, historic locations. The boat ride was smooth and fast. The island is a walk, so be prepared for that. But, my oh my, what an experience.
Rabail Abeer
Apr 21, 2022
We did the day tour to Alcatraz. It was worth every penny. You get the audio tour which was very helpful in telling the stories of past. Everything is preserved in an amazing way with lots of stories to read there.
You can easily spend 3 to 4 hrs to cover everything.
There are restrooms and water filters there but no food. So get your snacks if you want.
Alexey Batchenkov
Jan 27, 2022
First ride on Saturday morning had not too much people. So keep it in mind if you don't like crowd. We were lucky. It was beautiful weather -- warm, calm and sunny. We spent about four hours in there and could stay even longer but not all the buildings were open to see them. I liked their gift shop much more than the one on pier 39.
Depends on what tour you get (day vs night). Night is more expensive. I was able to get day tickets for about $39 per person. There's also companies that package the Alcatraz tour with tours of San Francisco. So it all depends on what you're looking to do.
I bought my tickets from: https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/
There was a letter sent to the FBI in 2018 that was claimed to have been written by one of the Anglin brothers. It stated that all three inmates had indeed escaped and survived and that they had lived long lives but the last living of the three needed long term care and wanted to turn himself in so that he could receive that care. The FBI said they couldn't authenticate it though.
I also have the national parks pass and this is a separate thing. The cost is $37 per person and it includes the ferry ride the audio tour any guide led tours and the entire trip basically. The biggest thing that I would recommend is that you booked this in advance. I was told the book at 90 days in advance and that was about 40 days before my trip but luckily I was able to still book it. I wouldn't book it less than a month in advance.
I don't know about the food i assume it was pretty basic. Prisoners would leave at the end of their sentences the same as any other prison. Al Capone spent time in there and was released at the end of his sentence.
During the gov't shutdown. If u have visited...How was it? Anything not working
such as restrooms, guft shop?
Judy Thomas | Aug 20, 2019
Rachel B | Aug 20, 2019
It was all working really well when we went. Just a few paths not accessible but I think that was more to do with the weather/season for safety reasons. It was pouring with rain the day we went.
At 11:05 GMT, when the prisoner waste is collected, is the pipe large enough to fit a group of 3 large men? If so please reply with an answer, preferably including where they would end up as I am not sure.
Need to know for my science homework.
Night trip.Surely made you happy you never had to spend time here.If you have physical challenges be sure to take the tram as the hills are tough to handle.
Yes... it is one of the iconic places in SanFran, and ferry rides are always fun! The audio-guide tour is very interesting and informative. If you are wondering about places to visit in SanFran, this is a great option to consider.
The prison had its own set of boats that settled the guards and prisoners from the mainland to the island. A similar set of boats pulled barges of water over too, because the island did not have its own water supply.
When the prison first opened there were 52 guards but that grew as the number of inmates grew. It had a total staff of about155 including the guards,the warden and others. About 70 guards lived on the island. There are also about 300 civilians living on the island, which consisted mostly of the families of the guards, the warden and some of the staff.
The audio that accompanies the tour did not state a number. It did note that black men were not integrated into the population because they were targeted for violence.
The message on the wall was part of the Native American protest that was held in 1970. It is meant to signify the land originally belonged to the native population.
Yes the prison is still there. For historical reasons I would say take the tour but for the amount of money that you pay there should be a tour guide not a audio tour guide that you listen through on their app that you have to download to your phone and listen with ear plugs. A tour guide would make the tour so much better if you take the tour you will agree!
Prisoners who made trouble could end up in restricted cells, where they didn't have access to the library and had fewer hours of exercise. If they were really bad, there was "the hole", solitary confinement in a special cell, with no furnishings, light, and a restricted diet.
Online you buy tickets. They say they got.9am. Tickets but.not.true
. 11am first ride out
Cell tower closed you only get to walk the island. Cant go in to see prison cells. Or any other buildings. I would definitely wait. Not worth the price rt now
The United States Department of Justice acquired the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Pacific Branch, on Alcatraz on 12 October 1933, and the island became a prison of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in August 1934 after the buildings were modernized and security increased.
It's very hard to explain the feeling of walking through and around Alcatraz Island. Its a very surreal feeling and I think it's something everyone visiting San Francisco should go and have a look around.
The staff and park rangers are great, very friendly and full of information including some interesting little facts that you may not have heard before.
I absolutely loved it so much that I spent a full day there and then went back for the night tour which was an awesome experience!
is Alcatraz a museum now
Fritz Matthew Mpasion | Aug 19, 2020
Paul Bateman | Aug 19, 2020
Yes, and a very good one; it's run by the Parks Service and refreshingly, it hasn't been turned into a Disney park
Can i ride the elephants here?
Rico & Pine | Aug 19, 2020
keith hall | Aug 19, 2020
No
What are the tour schedules
Bri | Aug 19, 2020
Aaron Palma Gil | Aug 19, 2020
Cant answer during the day schedules but for night theres 2, 5:55pm and 6:30pm..
I would suggest buying online early, cause some days do sell out, so u wouldn't want to be disappointed when u get there. We did the night tour last week, loved it. Booked them a month early online.
The name Alcatraz is derived from the Spanish "Alcatraces." In 1775, the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala was the first to sail into what is now known as San Francisco Bay - his expedition mapped the bay and named one of the three islands Alcatraces. Over time, the name was Anglicized to Alcatraz. While the exact meaning is still debated, Alcatraz is usually defined as meaning "pelican" or "strange bird."
Its about 40 dollars per person! I'm not sure how much it is for kids and seniors. But I would definitely recommend reserving your spot early because it gets filled quickly!
Sam is right. Some areas are off-limits. If you plan on going to alcatraz make reservations as soon as you can. There is no guarantee that you will get same day ticket(s).
there was alot of prison escapes and attempts there were famous gangster who were housed there and murders and killers there was even an breakouts attempt that 2 guards were killed
It closed as a prison in 1963 and 10 years later they started doing tours.There is only one place you can purchase tickets to actually tour the island. They are sold out way in advance, so if you plan to tour, buy your tickets weeks ahead of time.
It hasn't been destroyed, it was abandoned as a prison many years ago because of the running costs. A couple of the buildings have suffered fires meaning only the shells now exist. The main prison block is still very much good order and open for tours.
Island (/ˈælkəˌtræz/) is located in San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States.[1] The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison from 1934 until 1963.[4] Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans from San Francisco, who were part of a wave of Native activism across the nation, with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz became part of a national recreation area and received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
When you are on a small island in the middle of the Bay, the sea breeze pretty much blows over any smell there may be. You won't have to worry about "smells" on the island.
They were transferred to other prisons, according to the history channel, and I think the audio tour also mentioned that when I went there this past March 2019.
As much time as you'd like. The audio tour took about an hour. Exploring the rest of the island and getting photos took about another hour. So one could do all there's meant to do in about roughly 2-3 hours including getting travel to and from the island.
I'm not sure about gift shop hours but I assume it's open normal shopping hours and they have tours all day and also night time tours which are very popular and atmospheric
You have to get a ticket in advance, I got it online on this website.
https://www.alcatrazislandtickets.com
The boat leaves from pier 33 that takes you to Alcatraz Island, getting the ticket the same day is taking a risk.
There are numerous street side parking spots along the at the Embarcadero. You should be able to combine a couple for parking spots. I don't know about parking regs whether you will need to pay for both spots or not. I would definitely check out the rules, they are not afraid to ticket. Max out the meter. You will be gone a minimum of 4 hours.
Use Alcatrazcruises....Official site...prices are about 38 dollars...LOOK OUT for others that charge 100 bucks for same trip....!!!!! Please pass on to ALL friends...!!! ( They WARN you about this on the official page..AVOID reservealcatraz and viator for eg. as real rip-off ).
How much the entrance ticket and the fare going to Alcatraz from pier 39 to Alcatraz
Leo Carpio | Aug 20, 2019
Tony Bermudez | Aug 20, 2019
Well to get on the island it's free but you pay for the boat ride and back plus the audio tour is $38, stay as long as you want day trip up to 4:25 p.m.... and it leaves at Pier 33 not 39
Hello ! for a search, does anyone know the height, length, and width of the prison? as well as the number of windows that the building has? thank you :)
Stėphanie Marciniak | Aug 20, 2019
Imperial Guard #28 | Aug 20, 2019
Length:1,677 feet
Width:591 feet
Hight:135 feet
# of windows:At least 348, I think.
Hello. It is listed as a National park. Used from a defensive bastion to a prison. It is currently one of the must-sees in San Francisco and is spectacular, both by day and at night.
No they spent more then a year using spoons to slowly chip through a concrete wall located behind an air vent at the back of there cells then they escape d through a ventilation shaft and climed up onto the roof on the roof they had previously stored raincoat and rubber cement to make a raft then they went down a 40 foot drainage pipe to the groind below
Limited handicap accessibility, depending on the nature of the handicap. They have a special tram to take handicapped people up to the main prison, but it doesn't stop along the way up. The main prison area that is open for the self-guided tour is all on one floor and it's wheelchair accessible. Several of the outbuildings and other areas are not really accessible.
The U.S. Army began the construction of a military fort on the island in 1853 (California was part of Mexico until the Mexican- American war when the land was ceded to the U.S. in 1848). It was operated as a coastal fortification until it officially became a military prison in 1907. It continued operating as a military prison until 1933. At that time it was transferred to the Bureau of Prisons and became a U.S. Federal Penitentiary. The Federal Penitentiary was officially closed on March 21, 1963 by Robert Kennedy, the U.S. Attorney General. It then sat idle until it was occupied by the Indians Of All Tribes during their protest for 19 months in 1969-1971. After that it sat idle again until it was turned over to the National Park Service in 1972 and was first opened to the public in October, 1973.
Yes kids are allowed but be aware a lot of walking up hill bring snacks and water, also get cold and windy for lil ones bring jackets.
But Yes kids are allowed, it offers a different aspect for kids such as ferry ride on the San Francisco bay, the large amount of flowers and birds, that inhabit the island, also good views of the surrounding towns islands and bridges and the Steep Hill on the island so there's no reason to hesitate bringing children to The Rock is fine .
Get on a waiting list for the evening tour. They have upto 20 people each on standby for the 2 evening tours and almost always let all of them on! I was there on Monday, 06/11 and was on WL #14 for the 5:30 tour.
Short answer: No
Long answer: You pay for basically a ticket to ride the ferry to the island. In order to get onto the ferry, you must show your ticket, and in order to get a ticket, you must purchase it. Before that, there's no way to get to the island unless you try to sneak onto the ferry (just don't) or you try to board the island with your own boat (again, just don't). This happens before you even get onto the island and even consider doing the audio tour (no extra fee for this) or any other kind of tour that you would need to pay extra for.
Alcatraz isn't that big of a place, so you'd probably get bored pretty fast without doing the audio tour. Angel island i think is much bigger, but there's no historic prison, it's more for like hiking or outdoor recreation. That's an island where you find your own amusement.
In the 1850s the United States army built a fortress there, but it was never needed and in 1868 it became a military prison. In 1909 most of the original fortress was demolished and a new prison was constructed and put into operation in 1934.
The first Spaniard to discover the island was Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775, who charted San Francisco Bayand named the island “La Isla de los Alcatraces,” which translates as “The Island of the Pelicans,” from the archaic Spanish alcatraz, “pelican”, a word which was borrowed originally from Arabic.
The prison was closed after 29 years of operation. It did not close because of the disappearance of Morris and the Anglins. That decision was made long before the three disappeared, but mostly because the institution was too expensive to continue operating.
Alcatraz hasn't been a prison since 1963 (a decision driven by cost cuts in the prison system and a move to reform convicts rather than lock them away forever).
It's now a national park and popular tourist attraction. The tickets go quickly, so book ahead to avoid missing out.
There were eight people murdered by inmates on Alcatraz. Five men committed suicide, and fifteen died from natural illnesses. The Island also boasted it's own morgue but no autopsies were performed there. All deceased inmates were brought back to the mainland and released to the San Francisco County Coroner.
Escapists, but never found, either dead. Names are:Frank morris, John Anglin, Clarence Algin.
Person who did die was Allen west. He died of natrual illnesses
Can I purchase the entrance tickets at the island or does it has to be with a tour??
Miguel Duran | Aug 20, 2018
Gerardo Cota | Aug 20, 2018
Tickets can be purchase at the pier 33, that is where you take the ferry to the island but is very unlikely that they'll have availability, tours can be sold out two months before depending on the date. My recommendation is that you buy the tickets online.
I can't recommend the audio tour enough, it really enhances the experience and the production quality is awesome, make sure to bring your camera and warm clothes since there's always a cold breeze.
The institution became too expensive to operate. It costed $3-5 million for restoration and maintenance work alone to keep the prison open. That was 3x more than any other federal prison of its time.