AlcatrazDescriptionAlcatraz Island (aka "The Rock") has seen a variegated history. Juan Manuel Ayala discovered it in 1775 and named it after the many pelicans that nested on the island. From the 1850s to 1933, it served as a military post, protecting the bay's shoreline. The military buildings were converted into a prison in 1934. It was believed totally escape-proof. Famous gangsters - Al Capone, Robert Stroud, Alvin Karpis - were imprisoned at Alcatraz.
In 1969, a group of Native Americans chartered a boat to the island and symbolically reclaimed the island for the Indian people. They occupied the island until 1971, the longest occupation of a federal facility by Native Americans to this day.
In 1972 Alcatraz Island became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is open to public. Visitors can explore the remnants of the prison, military fortifications, and the West Coast's first (and oldest operating) lighthouse.
Entrance FeeAdmission (includes ferry trip and audio tour)
$16 adults with headset, $12 without;
$15 seniors 62 and older with headset, $9.75 without;
$11 children 5-11 with headset, $8.25 without
Operating HoursThe operating hours vary with the season - departures are available throughout the day beginning at 9:30 a.m. The ferry runs about every thirty to fourty minutes to and from Alcatraz. The island closes at 6:30 p.m. in the summer, 4:30 p.m. in fall, winter and spring.
Alcatraz is closed only on Christmas and New Year's Day, or due to extreme weather.
Getting ThereFerries depart from Pier 41, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco.
All information is available by calling Blue & Gold Fleet at (415) 705-5555.
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