Behind Bars at Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island had many uses back in the days before it became a national park site.  It was a military fortress, a military prison, and finally a federal prison home to many bank robbers and murderers.  To get to the island, you’ll need to book tickets from Alcatraz Cruises located at Pier 33 either online or in person.  The ferry ride is only 15 minutes long with incredible views of San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay Bridge.  If you’re a local, Alcatraz Cruises offers a BOGO on select weekdays in the winter time if you call and reserve. There are fewer people and less fog compared to the summer time.

On my trip there, I took the 12:00 day tour which meant I had to board around 11:40 pm.  I grabbed a warm drink at Alcatraz Landing Cafe and bundled up.  Before boarding, an employee snaps a souvenir picture of you and your group avaliable for purchase on your return trip. Once I arrived, I quickly ate lunch at the docks and headed towards the audio tour entrance.  Maps are avaliable for sale but not necessary to find your way around the island.  The audio tour is 45 minutes and you can pause when necessary.   If you follow directions well, you will get taken to different areas of the prison like the isolation ward, the control room, the warden’s office, and cell areas.  You can enter some open cells and see a ranger demonstrate how loud the cell doors are when they slammed shut.  Once the tour ends, you exit through the gift shop and stop by the museum and theater before you depart. The times the boat goes back to SF are posted in multiple areas and you can stay until the last boat departure.  I spent around 2 1/2 hours on the island.