Alcatraz Island was a great place to visit. I do recommend the audio tour if it's your first time. It is very informative, and the cost is very reasonable. My 8-year-old son also loved it. However, make sure to book your reservation early. The tours do sell out rather quickly. And remember to dress warm. It's very chilly on the island.

There is a great Alcatraz Island tour that leaves multiple times a day from Fisherman's Wharf. I recommend that you call ahead or book tickets online in advance because these tours fill up very fast. You usually have to book at least a day or two before you want to go (although that is less true in the off-season).

The boat takes you over to Alcatraz Island. It is a beautiful trip over and you can see the island and the Golden Gate Bridge in the background (if it is not too foggy). You can walk around the island and prison and stay for as long as you'd like--you don't have to go back on a specific boat.

I would recommend doing the guided audio tour of the prison. You just get a cassette that tells you where to go, the history of the prison, and some first-hand accounts from guards and inmates, but it makes it much more interesting. Its really neat to see and understand this piece of history.

From the years 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz was not a place people liked to visit. The once-federal penitentiary island in the middle of San Francisco Bay was home to a maximum security prison with notorious convicts, such as the gangster Al Capone and Robert Stroud. Thanks to the preservation efforts of the National Park Service, that has changed, and Alcatraz is now one of the top tourist attractions in San Francisco.

Alcatraz Island has much more history than just the infamous prison that once operated there. In the 1800s, it became the West Coast's first US military fort. It is also home to the West Coast's oldest lighthouse.

Before the federal penitentiary took hold of the island, Alcatraz was also known for its gardens and nature. Today, the flora and fauna that flourish there isolated from the mainland are protected and researched intently by the National Park Service. Though the gardens are no longer curated, they serve as a reminder of the people who once thought of the island as a home.

Visitors board cruises that periodically make the trip out to Alcatraz from piers 39 and 41 on the mainland. There are several different type of cruises to suit different groups well, some historically minded, some more focused on nature. Tourists can pick and choose whatever trip would interest them the most.

Visitors of the island are welcome to tour the old buildings of the prison and the other parts of the island as well. It is open from 9am to 4:30pm and guided tours are available for those who wish to become more informed. There is also a very nice self-guided tour package that consists of a map and written guide that can be obtained for a $1 at the bookshop. By far the most interesting is the "cellhouse recorded tour," a taped 35 minutes in the words of former inmates and prison guards. You can put yourself in their shoes!

Perhaps the most underrated thing about Alcatraz is its impeccable view of the San Francisco Bay and city. You can see everything from here (fog permitting), and it offers a unique, unobstructed viewpoint.

It is recommended to make tour reservations a week in advance, especially during busier tourist times, like the summer months. Tickets are available at www.blueandgoldfleet.com

 

Very historical, very old, and totally interesting! You might want to rent "Escape from Alcatraz" before you go, as you might enjoy it all the more. You tour the actual cell blocks, kitchen, library, etc. You even get to see which cells some infamous criminals inhabited, such as Al Capone. Make sure to wear a sweatshirt or jacket, as it is quite cool and windy out on the bay.

This was excellent and costs $16 for adults - book in advance!

The boat trip to the island offers great (weather permitting) views of the city, Golden Gate Bridge, and the pelicans.

The audio tour narrates your walk around the prison, with interviews from ex-prisoners and staff. It points out many things you would not otherwise notice, like bullet marks. You can stop and start it when you want, so you are free to take photos and go inside the cells. The trip would be pointless without the audio tour.