How accessible is Alcatraz? The following areas are completely wheelchair accessible: Alcatraz dock area Prison building main floor All bookstores Museum displays Island theater Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing All Alcatraz Cruises vessels. How are the tours different? The Alcatraz Island Night Tour is a unique program limited to a few hundred visitors per evening and includes special programs, tours, and activities not offered during the day.
The ticket includes round-trip ferry transportation with on-board narration, a guided tour from Dock to Cellhouse, the Cellhouse audio tour, a keepsake souvenir brochure, recreation use fee and a variety of special programs and presentations offered only at night, are all included.
The Night Tour begins with a live narration on the ferry which cruises around Alcatraz Island before docking.
Upon arrival, a ranger or a docent will lead a group on a short guided tour from the dock to the Cellhouse. Night Tours are only available Tuesday through Saturday. The Alcatraz Island Behind The Scenes Tour is the most complete experience that is only available to a maximum of 30 people per departure. This two hour guided tour covers a different route and contains different content than the Alcatraz Cellhouse Audio Tour or the daily guided tours and programs. Specific destinations are not guaranteed.
The tour route may vary depending on safety and accessibility concerns, weather, construction, bird habitat, group size, etc. You will be guided by a knowledgeable and entertaining Park Ranger who will keep you captivated with stories from the past. You may then choose to stay afterwards to join the regular Night Tour program.
Children under the age of 12 are not allowed on the Behind The Scenes Tour. No refunds will be given if Adult or Senior tickets are purchased for children under age How much time should I allow for my visit? If you choose the Night Tour, your total experience is only 2 -3 hours.
What time do we come back from the island? Where can I park? Please Note: There is no parking on Pier In spite of the desperate escape attempts, Alcatraz' location defeated them all. Or did it? Three escapees left on a raft and were never seen again. There is some evidence two of them made it to Brazil.
The water was too cold and the current too strong. Even though the City was close enough for the prisoners to hear voices and laughter, they couldn't swim the distance: only 1. At the end, it's sort of relief to "escape" from the oppressive atmosphere in the jail and come out by the Alcatraz lighthouse. For those who have difficulty getting up the hill, there is a tram that leaves from the dock every 35 minutes, and carries people back down as well.
These Alcatraz tours are free and are offered on a variety of topics, like "Escapes", "Famous Inmates", and "Fortress Alcatraz". These guided tours are available for visitors doing the day tours; they start at the dock and travel up the hill, ending at the prison. The people doing the tours are volunteers with the Park Service - folks who have a passion for the history of Alcatraz and enjoy sharing their knowledge. There is no fixed schedule for these tours. When you get to the dock on Alcatraz, check out the list of tours on the chalkboard to the right of the bookstore.
They also post a list on the dock at Pier Each tour lasts about 45 minutes. The last time I was there, they were scheduled at , , and I went on an "Escapes" tour, given by an entertaining guide in "real life" a middle school history teacher who told us interesting anecdotes about the escape attempts, along with some Alcatraz history.
But the prisoners were told they would be eaten if they swam in the water. There are also free, guided, docent tours of the extensive gardens on Alcatraz, including tours of areas normally off-limits to visitors. Tours are Friday and Sunday mornings at am, leaving from the Alcatraz dock you would have to take the first or second ferry. Also, the Officers' Row area is open every Wednesday from 11 to 2, with a docent present for questions.
Thousands of seabirds use Alcatraz Island as a breeding ground. In spring, cormorants, gulls, and snowy egrets hatch their young here and you can see the nesting areas. Note: Construction and repairs.
Alcatraz is starting to crumble from the effect of sea air on the metal frames of the buildings, so they're fixing up various sections of the prison. They recently completed some major repairs on the main cellblock building and repainted it, so the areas normally open on the day tour are all open again. The areas affected by the repairs are mainly those that would be available for the Behind the Scenes Tour , such as the prison hospital, underground tunnels, prison factory, etc.
Consequently, that tour varies depending on what is accessible at the time, and it changes from day to day. A cool, new board game has been released, Alarm 22, Escape from Alcatraz, where you play as one of the inmates and try and escape from the Rock. It's a fun game created by Jimmy Treehorn, who designed the large scale model of Alcatraz that you'll see at the Pier 33 dock. It's based on a number of actual escape attempts, and the game play is a good balance between strategy and luck.
You can find it at a number of local shops, including the Alcatraz Gift Shop at Pier Also available online. See alarm If you aren't able to get tickets to Alcatraz, you can still get a good look at the island and the outside of the prison by taking an Alcatraz cruise. These bay cruises also take you out under the Golden Gate Bridge, a really a cool experience.
There are a number of bay cruises available that sail around Alcatraz Island, but don't stop there. You'll get a close-up view of the entire island as they circle around and most of them will give you some information about Alcatraz as they circle it.
Escape from the Rock Cruise. In addition, you'll circle Alcatraz Island and hear what Alcatraz was like for the prisoners and some stories of the more dramatic escape attempts. And with each child ticket, you get a pair of souvenir binoculars. Leaves from Pier See Escape from Alcatraz tour for more info and booking. Blue and Gold Ferry. This is a one-hour bay cruise with a recorded narration about the sights that leaves from Pier You sail past the sea lions, and head out to the Golden Gate Bridge.
You go out under the bridge, then turn around and sail for Alcatraz, making a full circle around the island. Super views of the city skyline, Angel Island and both bridges. Catamaran Bay Cruise. This is another fun boat tour, sailing on a catamaran that takes the same route as the ones above: out under the Golden Gate Bridge, across the bay, and around Alcatraz.
Being on a sailboat on the bay is a great feeling, plus beer, wine and snacks are available for purchase. Alcatraz and the bridge with a glass of wine Audio tour available in 8 languages. See Adventure Cat cruise for more info and booking. Money-saving tip: goldstar.
Go to goldstar. It's free to sign up. Alcatraz was supposed to be escape-proof. It had to be, because many of the prisoners there had already escaped from other federal prisons, and they were really bad guys. The video below tells the story and describes recent evidence of what may have really happened to those three prisoners. See my page on visiting Alcatraz. All residents were ordered to stay home, except for necessary trips to grocery stores and essential medical visits, and solo outdoor activities like hiking.
The city was gradually reopening many businesses and activities, but in December, came under a strict, stay-at-home directive, due to a sudden increase in infection and hospitalization rates. Since then, Covid numbers had dropped significantly, but recently started rising again.
Big changes June 15, California is "fully reopened", meaning all business sectors will reopen to full or almost full capacity, including concerts, stadium sports and festivals. SF is basically open, though somewhat more cautious in some regards. Vaccine requirements: Starting August 20, , SF requires that all restaurants, bars, theaters and gyms check for proof of full vaccination.
Documents accepted: paper or digital vaccination records. See SF Chron article re: vaccination. Public transportation options had been cut back, but are expanding again. See SF transit for more info. Masks are still required of everyone on public transit. The cable cars are running again. In September, they resumed full service, starting with the Powell-Hyde Line, and the other 2 lines to follow after.
Mask rules: another change, starting August 3, Everyone is now required to wear a mask indoors in SF, whether vaccinated or not. People may go without masks outdoors unless the area is densely populated. H ospitals, schools, nursing homes and public transit, still require masks. What is open? Restaurants can now be open to full capacity for indoor as well as outdoor dining, and many restaurants are open for take-out or delivery.
Bars that serve food can serve customers indoors. Businesses can allow customers inside, up to full capacity. Malls are open. The SF Zoo is open again. Offices: can reopen up to full capacity. Alcatraz is open. The Cell Block is open also. No proof of vaccination is required for the Alcatraz tours. See Alcatraz. H air salons , and open air tour buses , outdoor walking tours , and boat cruises can now operate.
Indoor museums are open, including the CA Academy of Sciences. Travel to SF. P er the California Dept. Unvaccinated travelers are urged to get tested before and after arrival, and to self-quarantine for 7 days, but this isn't mandatory. Hotels are accepting reservations, but travelers are urged to limit contact with others in the hotel. Exploratorium: open. It's a peaceful place first thing in the morning. You can easily get your tour in, explore the island for a hour, and then return to San Francisco for lunch.
This also gives you more time to explore the city. The minimum time for the day tours is about 2 to 3 hours. This includes the 15 minutes each way on the ferry to get to and from the island. All of these are estimates as you are able to leave the island when you are ready to go back and there is a ferry available.
You can stay on Alcatraz until the last ferry. The last ferry for the Alcatraz Prison tours during the day leaves around 3pm. For the night tours, there are usually only one to two return ferries. They make sure there is room for everyone, so you can stay until the last night ferry leaves. Yes, can take pictures everywhere within Alcatraz. There are no restrictions on taking photographs as long as you are in an area open to the public. Make sure to look out the windows because you can get some great photos of places on the island that are not open to the public.
At times, they do have traveling exhibits on the island. Each of these has a different photography policy, so make sure to check with them on any restrictions on these exhibits. I recommend booking your tickets as soon as you know your dates. They don't typically sell out on the very first day the tours open, but sometimes they will sell out a day or two after. You can also look at combo tickets, which give you a little more time to book your dates.
Tour companies are given an allotment of tickets to sell and most people purchase these much closer to their date of travel. They are also a great place to look for sold out dates. I get emails all the time from people looking for tickets for Alcatraz Prison tours on days that are sold out on the official website. Once those are sold out, there are no places I'd recommend booking individual tickets. However, my secret to solving this issue is to look for and book a combo tour package that includes other attractions or activities as well as Alcatraz tickets.
The best place to look is on GetYourGuide. They consolidate the tickets available at local tour companies and offer you one look at almost everything that is still available for your dates.
Below are some of the top combo tour options on Get Your Guide. Click the pictures to find out what options are available on the date of your visit. The day tour tickets are the least expensive. Many people search for discounted Alcatraz tickets. You won't find any reputable companies selling these tickets. Since Alcatraz sells out most of the year, they never offer their tickets at a discount. I specifically point this out as I want you to be very careful of fraudulent tickets.
I recommend purchasing your tickets either directly through Alcatraz Cruises, a reputable site such as GetYourGuide, or at the ticket counter tickets will only be available here during the low season. If you aren't sure, feel free to reach out to me and I'll do my best to help you identify if the deal is legitimate. I highly recommend getting the earliest ticket in the day that is available. The Early Bird tickets are best since you are the first group on the island.
I also like getting there as early as possible because then you can participate in some talks on the island. These usually start around 11 a. If you show up around noon, you will miss your chance to listen to these talks as you will first need to go on your self-guided audio tour.
There are a few considerations you'll want to look at when booking your tickets for Alcatraz Prison tours. The warmest months in San Francisco are September and October. This is the best time to visit the island as the main Cellblock is a little warmer than the rest of the year. That being said, this is San Francisco, so make sure you plan accordingly and bring long pants and a jacket.
It can get mighty foggy and windy on the island and you don't want to be caught out there without some way to keep warm. January and February are a little cooler as it's rainy season. There is also an orientation video shown every half hour describing the history of Alcatraz Island. Museums and bookstores are available. Nesting Season is from late September to February 1st. You should bring a light jacket or sweater when visiting Alcatraz Island as the weather can be unpredictable.
Winter months can be wet so we suggest that you bring a raincoat or wet gear. Comfortable shoes are necessary because much of Alcatraz Island is steep and hilly. The ferry ride to and from Alcatraz will take around minutes.
The return trips are listed on the Ferry Schedule page. Times are also posted at the dock. Ferries are first come, first serve. If you have not printed your tickets prior to your tour date then you may pick up your tickets at Pier 33 at the Prepaid Ticket booth will-call.
Please arrive half an hour one hour during peak seasons prior to your departure time to check in. You will need to present a valid photo ID and the credit card used to purchase your reservation. Yes, your photo ID will be checked while you are waiting in line prior to boarding the ferry. On-Street Parking is available near the Fisherman's Wharf area but can be hard to find. Parking Meters take nickels, dimes, and quarters. There are at least 15 commercial parking lots within the area of Pier The closest commercial lot is located at 80 Francisco at Kearny.
Alcatraz Island is steep and hilly. You should be prepared for long walks uphill. Visitors unable to make the climb around Alcatraz can use SEAT - Sustainable Easy Access Transport, an electric shuttle that transports visitors from the docks to the prison.
The SEAT runs on a regularly schedule each day. Families with small children and strollers cannot use SEAT.
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