There probably weren’t as many bird colonies and flower gardens back when Capone was incarcerated there, but it made the day even lovelier for me and my boyfriend. We took a stroll through the prison with the help of a self-guided audio tour, then chatted with the Park Rangers about Machine Gun Kelly. Hmmm...doesn't seem like such a bad place to spend 15-20...

A night tour of Alcatraz Island provides more features than daytime tours. You have a guide up to the prison, then walk your way through listening to the audio tour. At the end, there are several options - extra guided tours, movies, or just time on your own. The boat ride across the bay has many photo ops of the city, Golden Gate Bridge and the island itself.

As you disembark the boat, a guide welcomes you, explains the history of Alcatraz - first as a military fort in the Civil War days, then the federal penitentiary, and finally the Indian occupation during the late 1960s. It is presently operated by the National Park Service.

Visitors walk through the Guard house and Sally Port, just as the arriving prisoners did. You walk the same path as Al Capone, "Creepy" Karpis and other renowned inmates. The former Officer's CLub was destroyed by fire in 1970 but served as a backdrop in the movie, "The Rock." You climb your way uphill and finally enter the cellhouse, in the same receiving and shower area the inmates used. Here you are given the audio equipment and go upstairs to the cellblocks.

It's an eerie feeling walking around the prison cells, especially as the sun sets and night falls. The tape has actual voices of inmates and guards; you continually hear the slamming of the cell doors/bars. Seeing the sights and hearing the sounds one can imagine what life in the pen was like.

At one point, you can go outside the warden's office area. At that time of the evening, the setting sun beyond the Golden Gate Bridge was a beautiful sight. The shimmering buildings of downtown San Francisco provide a scenic backdrop to the abandoned ones on Alcatraz. As the audio reminds you, the city lights and sounds are so close yet were unattainable to the inmates of the prison.

Your tour ends in the gift shop with options for additional tours or video before the last boat leaves for the night.

Alcatraz, the infamous federal penitentiary, housed some of the most notorious criminals of our time. During its 29 years as a prison, Al Capone, Bird Man of Alcatraz, George Machine Gun Kelly, and Arthur Doc Baker were some of the most famous prisoners. This decaying structure was the first operating lighthouse on the west coast and served as a fortress. In 1933 Alcatraz became what it is most known for today, a maximum security prison. Today it is part of the National Park Service and this is why it is still standing today, SAVE THE ROCK.

It is best to purchase tickets ahead of time, they sell out fast. The ferry leaves from pier 33 at 9:30am and runs until either 6:30pm in the summer or 4:30pm the rest of the year. The ride takes about 1/2 hour. I would suggest taking the morning ferry so you are not rushed. Most tickets include the audio tour that is given by former inmates and runs about 50 minutes. The tape tells you blow by blow stories of their experiences. The former inmates reminisce about the cell blocks (Broadway, CD Street) the attempted escapes, the day the marines came to take back Alcatraz. I thought it was well put together.

Take time to explore the grounds. As you enter on the pier you are greeted by a park ranger that advise you of important information about the prison and special movies and tours that are shown that day. As you walk up to the main cell house you will pass the water tower and the military barracks. Keep going and you will run into the lighthouse. Once inside the main building, an audio cassette is given to you and your tour begins. You will cover every part of the main building, including the main cell block, dinner hall, Warden’s office, visitation room, and administration office. The dinning room was considered one of the most dangerous areas. You could only imagine having 200 or more inmates all together in one room with utensils!!

Once you are finished with the audio tour, take a walk outside. You have magnificent views of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. Do not forget to stop in the gift shop. There are very interesting books on the history of Alcatraz besides your normal souvenirs. One way you can contribute to Saving the Rocks is by buying of piece of it. An actual piece of the rock is told for about $5.

When visiting San Francisco, a must see attractions is Alcatraz. Please do not miss it.

If you go to San Francisco, you have got to go to Alcatraz. If you are there in the summer, get your tickets early and go to Alcatraz After Dark. For about $25 per person, you can get a truly unique experience.

During the summer months, the Blue and Gold Fleet offer evening tours of Alcatraz. You can buy both day tour and evening tour tickets at www.blueandgoldfleet.com.

My group went out on the first evening tour and returned on the last boat of the evening. If you choose to do this activity I would suggest that you do the same. By going on the early evening tour you can listen to your audio tour and then have time to participate in some of the specially scheduled evening activities. These activities are really neat because they are not offered during the day visits and involve small groups. My group and I got to go on the hospital tour. This part of the prison is usually closed during the day hours and only 20 people per evening get to take this tour.

The hospital tour was really interesting. You get to see the Birdman of Alcatraz's cell, the operating room, and the hydrotherapy room. You even get to see where some of the movie, The Rock, was filmed. It was also really cool to get to participate in going on such a small, intimate tour.

All the guides at Alcatraz were phenomenal. They each were interesting and told us about the history of the island. The audio tour was exceptional as well. It is composed of voices of former prisoners and prison guards. They discuss the escape that occurred along with highlighting locations like "Broadway" and "Time Square" within the prison. On the tour you get to see Al Capone's cell as well as Machinegun Kelly's cell. As you listen to the audio you can't help but imagine what it was like on the island. The other thought you are struck with is how hard it must have been to be behind bars and look out on such beautiful sights. The views from Alcatraz are truly unbelievable, especially around sundown and after dark.

If you get the chance to do the Alcatraz After Dark tour, don’t turn it down. It was something that I booked almost a month ahead and I am really glad that I did. The extra cost is nothing compared to what you gain by the experience.

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