Alcatraz Tours

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. During the penitentiary years and many of the inmates who called "the Rock" home.

Most people know that Alcatraz was once a world-famous federal penitentiary. From the mid 1930's until the mid-1960's, Alcatraz was America’s premier maximum-security prison. But the island’s history before and after the penitentiary era is less well known. For example, few realize that it was also the site of the first American lighthouse on the West Coast and that the island served as a huge harbor defense fort during the Civil War. After the fort became obsolete, the U.S. Army turned the island into a grim military prison. Following the closing of the penitentiary, this island became the site of a American Indian protest movement that would change modern American history.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area's 75,398 acres of land, Alcatraz Island was included within the boundaries. These lands represent one of the nation’s largest coastal preserves and attract 16 million visitors each year. The National Park Service opened it to the public for the first time in October 1973. Visitors had never been allowed on the island before, and the response was overwhelming – more than 50,000 people visited Alcatraz during the first year it was open. Through gardening, island residents created beauty in a place focused on defense, punishment, and confinement. The families of the guards enjoyed tea parties in the gardens, and gardening became a welcome pastime. For trusted inmates, the gardens were an escape from daily prison life. Even today, the thriving gardens are a stark contrast to the somber prison. American Indians return to the island each November to hold a sunrise ceremony commemorating their 1969 occupation of the former prison. 

Today, Alcatraz is being preserved for the enjoyment and understanding of future generations. Former prison buildings are being conserved and seismically upgraded, and additional areas of the island are opened to the public as safety hazards are removed. Seabirds are returning to the island in ever-greater numbers, and naturalists carefully follow the number of eggs laid during the 8-month long nesting season. This Island is frequently the site of large-scale special events such as corporate receptions. The island has also been the subject of a long list of Hollywood movies, television shows and documentaries and it remains a popular location for commercial photography and filming. Alcatraz Island is also available on a limited basis for private evening events and tours. Much of Alcatraz is steep and hilly, so be prepared for walking long distances uphill. The distance from the dock to the prison at the top of the island is about 1/4 mile (.4 km) and the elevation change is 130 feet (40 meters). This is equivalent to climbing a thirteen story building.