We went on the evening tour and loved it. The sun was setting on our trip over to the island, which made for a great view. We still had enough light to get a good look at everything, and while inside the cell house, the sun went down. Upon exit, the darkness made the island all that much more spooky and foreboding. A guide leads you into the cell house, making stops along the way to give information and tell stories. Once inside, you are given an earpiece with an audio tour. The tour is very good with lots of interesting fact and stories. It was a lot of fun comparing the real thing to what we've seen in movies. The shower room is nothing like the one in "The Rock." Definitely glad we did the evening tour but could have got some better pictures of the outside on the day tours.

History buffs will love it. Children will be mesmerized. Everyday people will enjoy the boat ride and views. Overall, this small trip is worth its weight in gold.

I recommend purchasing your tickets in advance since it tends to sell out early. Bring a jacket... San Fran is windy on its own, and being on an island doesn't help much. Camera!!

I participated in the audio tour. I feel it is a better option. It allows you to wander on your own and explore while hearing information thru your headsets on the area you happened to wander into.

The boat ride is about 10 min long, and there is a refreshment bar on board.

Overall I highly recommend taking the tour. It is well worth the time and money involved.

Enjoy!

Alcatraz was one of the most fascinating things we’ve ever seen. We got a self-guided walking tour through an MP3 headset. It led us through the cell blocks and told stories along the way. At times you could actually hear the chains and moans of the prisoners in their cells (through the headset), and it was so realistic that you'd actually take off your headphones to see if it was real.

We almost got attacked by a mother seagull protecting her chic on the walkway around the island. The view of the city and bridge was astounding.

Make sure to bring a sweatshirt or jacket, even during the summer, since the wind picks up frequently.

Definitely DO NOT be cheap by skipping the audio tour. We really thought we were wasting our money until we tried it and then deemed it the highlight of San Francisco.

The rich history of Alcatraz during the penitentiary years and many of the inmates who called "the Rock" home. From the mid-1930s until the mid-1960s, Alcatraz was America's premier maximum-security prison, the final stop for the nation's most incorrigible inmates. Today, Alcatraz is a place of contradictions, with a grim past and an enduring future as one of San Francisco's most prominent landmarks and tourist attractions.

Alcatraz tour boat leaves from Fisherman's Wharf. Order tickets ahead of time (Internet reservations are not available). There is often a very long wait and trips are sometimes sold out for the entire day. Also be sure to try the Dungeness crabs (the huge crabs caught near Alaska) and clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf (always bring a sweater or jacket!). The Alcatraz tour is self-guided and visitors rent a personal headset with recorded tour information. When it's over, you can try a cup of Irish coffee in a restaurant near the cable car stop.

We've all heard about the notorious characters that once were residents at Alcatraz. The tough reputation of the prison itself is widely known and portrayed in many movies. Taking a tour of Alcatraz helps sort out the facts from the fiction. The only way to get to Alactraz is by the Blue and Gold Fleet ferry boats. The boat disembarks at the dock and there is usually a ranger or volunteer that gives a short synopsis of the island's history and myths. Things like the fact that Robert Stroud (the Birdman of Alcatraz) never had his birds while imprisoned there, and that the island started out as a Civil War fort, then became a military prison prior to becoming the infamous federal penitentiary.

Next, we proceeded up the 1/4 mile, 12% grade to the Administration Building/Cellhouse, where we picked up our audio equipment for our tour. The audio tour is made up of interviews and comments from both former guards and former "guests" and really brings the tour to life. With the tales told while walking through the prison, you get a better perspective of how things were during the time that Alcatraz was in full use. Stories are related about a near-riot over spaghetti, a foiled escape due to the key being pushed too hard into the lock, and listening for a woman's voice as the echo of New Year's Eve revelers came across the water from Fisherman's Wharf.

If you have any interest in history, you'll enjoy this tour. Be sure to carry a jacket with you when you go - while we were there, the fog rolled in and the wind picked up. It got cool enough that I probably could have gotten a decent price for my jacket from some of the poor souls in shorts and T-shirts. Oh, and by the way: Sean Connery's furnace room in the movie "The Rock" was all Hollywood.