A geologist might simply be curious about the mineral content of the Rock, on the other hand most non-rockhounds will prefer Alcatraz's history and legends.
A shuttle is offered each hour from the dock for those preferring not to climb the steep hill to the prison, but few parts of Alcatraz are wheelchair accessible.
Access a brief history of Alcatraz Island, and take a virtual tour of select parts of the prison, including a cellblock, the watchtower, the ruins of the warden's house and the fortified barracks.
Alcatraz has appeared in numerous books, movies, and games.
Alcatraz is one of the most popular attractions for visitors to the San Francisco Bay area.
Alcatraz is open every day except for Christmas and New Year's Day.
Alcatraz Island is one of San Francisco's greatest and most popular tourist attractions.
Alcatraz night tours are only open to a limited number of people.
Alcatraz sits on a rock smack dab in the middle of the San Francisco Bay.
Alcatraz was built to be an impenetrable prison, surrounded by rocky cliffs and the choppy, frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay.
Alcatraz was closed as a federal prison in 1963.
Alcatraz was declared part of the GGNRA and in the following year, "The Rock" was opened to the public.
Alcatraz was first "discovered" by European explorers in 1775, when Spanish Lt. Juan Manuel de Ayala sailed into San Francisco Bay in order to chart the area.
Alcatraz was just another white elephant in the Federal Government's hands.
Alcatraz with its isolation, treacherous currents, and chilly waters made it ideal to house these worst of the worst criminals.
Alcatraz, or as it is less affectionately known, The Rock, is an island of notorious repute in the San Francisco Bay, just over a mile off of the City's touristy Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf.
Alcatraz's grim reputation and mystique began in 1861 with the onset of the U.S. Civil War.
Alcatraz's history as a prison is well known, but that only encompassed a mere twenty-nine years.
Alcatraz's history is full of many toughened and famous criminals and murderers of their time.
Allow about 2 ½ hours to tour Alcatraz Island.
Among them are The Birdman of Alcatraz with Burt Lancaster, Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood, The Rock, and So I Married an Ax Murderer.
An Alcatraz tour is one of the best ways to see "the rock", one of the most famous maximum-security prisons in the history of the American penal system.
An Alcatraz trip is one of the highlights of any trip to the San Francisco Bay area.
Apparently it helped to have a nickname to gain admittance to the Alcatraz club.
As an example, in 1959 it was calculated the daily per capita cost at Alcatraz was $10.10 versus $3.00 per capita in Atlanta's prison.
Be careful some Alcatraz Ticket sites charge an additional $ 10.00 per ticket fee plus a per order service charge.
Below is our guide to some of the best tours you can take of Alcatraz Island.
Blue and Gold Fleet ferries are "the only way to Alcatraz."
Book your tour of Alcatraz online with just a few clicks of your mouse!
But Alcatraz's role as a fearsome fortress protecting the strategic bay waters was short-lived and in a few decades it's role steadily diminished.
Call (415) 981-ROCK to reserve tickets or go online to the Alcatraz Cruises website.
Contrary to urban legend, no prisoners ever escaped from Alcatraz - at least not according to the US government.
Could Clint Eastwood really break his way out of Alcatraz armed only with some silver dimes, a spoon and a box of matches?
Finally, in 1909 the Citadel was torn down and Alcatraz's defensive military role ceased.
For tour information, go to Alcatraz Cruises And remember, stay out of trouble.
From mysterious Alcatraz Island to the romantic glow of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset, a San Francisco Bay Cruise can rejuvenate and inspire you in ways not otherwise possible.
From that original concept Alcatraz became a prison, first as a military prison and eventually as a Federal Penitentiary.
Golden Gate National Recreational Area offers up-to-date news on Alcatraz Island, plus pictorial tours of its military, prison and Indian occupation years.
Here you'll find reservation and booking info for a host of Alcatraz tours, including combination tours that take you to other tourist attractions in the San Francisco area.
However, that's not quite the end of the history of Alcatraz Prison.
If you are trying to squeeze in a walk through Muir Woods, a trip to Alcatraz, a Wine Country tour, a Giants game and San Francisco all in 2-3 days you will too tuckered out to pack to go home.
If you ask a group of San Francisco natives about the best way to see "the Rock," chances are many will tell you that you have to check out the Alcatraz night tours.
In addition, the hotel is within walking distance to Pier 39 and the ferries to Alcatraz.
In early 1969, Interior Secretary Warren Hickel placed Alcatraz under the National Parks jurisdiction.
It just stagnates the genre when films like this and New Alcatraz are continually pumped out with little creativity.
Learn about the history and see pictures of San Francisco's world-famous Alcatraz Island from the comfort of your own home!
Make reservations online today for a popular one-day and two-day Alcatraz tour combination, including those in which you get to see such popular attractions as Muir Woods and the San Francisco waterfront.
Many a convicted criminal made an Alcatraz trip across the San Francisco Bay.
Military minds conceived of Alcatraz as an ideal location for Confederate prisoners.
Of course, everyone wants to go to Alcatraz Island-to visit but not stay.
On Alcatraz Island is the United States Prison, and on Goat Island the United States Naval School of the Pacific. The old Spanish " presidio " is now a United States military reservation, and another smaller one, the Fort Mason Government Reservation, is in the vicinity.
On July 1, 1934, U.S. Federal Penitentiary, Alcatraz opened.
On most San Francisco tourists' list of things to see when visiting is an excursion to Alcatraz.
On November 9, 1970 a small group of Native Americans led by Mohawk, Richard Oakes, landed on Alcatraz to take over but left uneventfully the next morning at Federal Marshal's requests.
On October 12, 1933, the U.S. Department of Justice takes possession of Alcatraz with the intention to turn it into a maximum security prison.
Once you've finished the traditional Alcatraz night tour, you can take advantage of special programs offered only during the evening hours.
Other interesting options available include a Segway tour of Alcatraz, and an Alcatraz tour combined with a lovely bay cruise.
Over time the name for the island was shortened to Alcatraz.
Post-1906 San Francisco Earthquake, many civilian prisoners from the city's jails were transferred to Alcatraz for temporary detention during rebuilding.
Robert Franklin Stroud - The infamous "Birdman of Alcatraz," Stroud, convicted for manslaughter, was famous for raising and selling canaries and other birds from his cell.
San Francisco Architecture with the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Ferry Building, a cable car, the Conservatory of Flowers, and California wine country.
Secondly, you can get access to areas of Alcatraz prison that are usually off limits to tourists.
Since 1861, Alcatraz served as a prison, housing captured Native Americans, soldiers, violent criminals, and many others.
Since that point, Alcatraz Island, with its unique nefarious prison history, has drawn over one million visitors a year.
Small Town Alcatraz - a history of the families, including women and children, who called "the Rock" home.
Starting in November of 1969, Alcatraz was held and occupied by a Native American activist group called the United Indians of All Tribes.
Strategically, the U.S. military decided Alcatraz would be an excellent location for a fortress overseeing the bay.
Sturdy wheels and durable key-lockable latches make this travel case a veritable Alcatraz for your precious clubs.
The Alcatraz trip is very popular and tickets often sell out early.
The Blue and Gold ferry boat sails to Alcatraz Island and under the Golden Gate Bridge for a fun, ninety-minute adventure.
The Blue and Gold ferry boat sails to Alcatraz Island on weekends only during the winter.
The company recommends you book your Alcatraz tours at least two weeks in advance, because spaces fill up very quickly.
The convenient, central location of the Grant is close to shopping downtown, restaurants in Chinatown and boats to Alcatraz at Fisherman's Wharf.
The decision by the BOP was made because Alcatraz was too expensive to operate relative to other institutions in their U.S. penal system.
The fleet also offers a special cruise for people who are particularly interested in Alcatraz Island - the Escape from the Rock Cruise.
The history of Alcatraz prison is varied, fascinating, and at times tragic.
The night tour, like other Alcatraz Island tours, includes both a full guided portion and a self guided portion in which visitors learn more about the island's history and its famous past residents.
The Powell-Hyde cable car goes right by the hotel, right past Chinatown, over Nob Hill, past Lombard_Street - "the crookedist street" - and on to Fisherman's Wharf where boats depart for Sausalito, Tiburon and Alcatraz Island.
The story of Alcatraz focuses on the famous D-Block, where prisoners were often isolated, naked, for extended periods.
The tour includes fun narration about Alcatraz's history and its famous criminals like Al Capone, Clyde Johnson and Robert "The Birdman" Stroud.
There are also pictures to check out, including ones that take you inside an Alcatraz penitentiary cellblock.
There are sections devoted to the Birdman of Alcatraz and the daily lives of the prison's detainees, plus a rundown of the 14 inmate escape attempts.
There's also a photo tour to take, recommendations for books on Alcatraz and information for visiting the island.
There's information on Alcatraz night tours and Alcatraz bay cruises as well.
This 90-minute journey leaves Pier 39, sails out under the Golden Gate Bridge and then comes back to circle around Alcatraz Island.
This company does not mark up the cost of Alcatraz Tickets or charge a booking fee.
This company has sold more than 15,000 tours of Alcatraz and San Francisco, with both combo and day or night tour options now available to potential customers.
This philosophy is evident in the Alcatraz Rules and Regulations.
This popular tourist company offers tours of Alcatraz and Alcatraz only, and combination tours, where you'll travel to The Rock and then on to a choice of Muir Woods or San Francisco.
This short list includes the real characters from Clint Eastwood's Escape from Alcatraz movie, Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Aglin.
Tickets may be purchased online from Alcatraz Cruises.
To find out what's offered on the night of your visit, ask any of the tour guides or visit the Alcatraz website for schedules.
Today, more than 1.3 million visitors make the Alcatraz trip.
Upon the prison closure, Alcatraz was turned over to the General Services Administration for management.
Visit the recommended sites below for more detailed histories, facts and pictures of Alcatraz Island.
Visiting Alcatraz via a cruise ship is a great trip to enjoy with the whole family, combining mystery, intrigue, and a great educational lesson at the same time.
Visitors begin their Alcatraz trip from the dock at Fisherman's Wharf.
Yes, there's the Golden Gate Bridge, of course there's Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, and a visit would just not be complete without a drive down the self-proclaimed Crookedest Street in the World.
You can also take a boat out to Alcatraz Island, taking in a piece of time and heartbreak that this island holds.
You can choose from such selections as The Alcatraz day tour, evening tour, the combo Alcatraz and city tour, and the combo Alcatraz and Muir Woods tour.
You could also happen upon a chapel tour, a in-depth hospital tour, a cell door demonstration, a talk about the life of an Alcatraz guard, a tour of the catwalks overlooking the recreation yard and more.
You will be able to print your tickets for your Alcatraz tour directly from the site.
You'll also find complete information on how and where to buy tickets for a tour of Alcatraz Island, plus recommendations for when you should buy tickets.
You're allowed to enter certain cells for a real prisoner's eye view of Alcatraz life.