We loved visiting Alcatraz Island while in San Francisco! This was our best part of the trip. We loved being in the ferry and on the bay!
We loved visiting Alcatraz Island while in San Francisco! This was our best part of the trip. We loved being in the ferry and on the bay!
I'd really give 3.5 stars, but this is a must see attraction/bucket list, so I'm giving 4.
First, I went during the pandemic so it was an outside tour only. The only building we could go into was a large empty one where the prisoners used to make things. The rest of the buildings were closed. The island is smaller than I'd expected. The buildings are in disrepair and it's clear a few have been torn down. The weather has taken a toll on the buildings and the birds have destroyed the prisoner playground area. I really wish groundskeepers could try to keep the area free from all the bird poop, but that might be too much of a cost. The original light fixtures outside the buildings are still there, which was cool to see and made you feel like you were back in time. In a way, it's sad to see that island is not being more preserved since it is a part of history. I enjoyed exploring the island, the garden, and the playground where prisoners used to walk around and get exercise. As for the cost to visit, during the pandemic, they should reduce the cost since you can't go into the buildings. At least they took temperature checks before they let you into the waiting area for the boat and most people did social distance. Masks are a requirement, thankfully. The boat crew sanitized the rails before and after the boat ride, too. One hour was plenty to explore the island. If the buildings would've been open to the public, it probably would've taken closer to 2 hours.
Historic place to visit and awesome location to explore, however the cells/main complex was closed so you cannot see as much as you would expect. I would encourage anyone to wait till it’s fully open.
Not the experience I had hoped for as the cell block was closed due to COVID. Would have been good to know before getting there so that we could have made the decision as to whether it would have been worth it or not.
We were not made aware of the restrictions/closure until we made the climb to the cell block entrance itself.
Still glad we made the effort, even with limited access, you get a sense of how things were.
this was the main reason i came to san fran on vaction. i didnt really know what to expect but it exceeded my expectations. i had soo much fun
we had to do the visit but at the last minute we preferred to cancel because we were afraid of having a problem on this island and of getting stuck there