Address
Alcatraz Island
Fort Mason, B201
San Francisco, CA 94133,
United States
Directions: Google Maps
Support
Phone: 415-561-4900 (general)
Phone: 1-415-981-ROCK /7625 (Alcatraz Cruises)
Email: info@alcatrazcruises.com (Alcatraz Cruises)
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About Alcatraz Island
Located in San Francisco Bay, California, Alcatraz Island is a rugged ‘rocky island’ discovered in the 17th century by Spanish explorer Juan Manuel, and named after the large population of Pelicans found on the island. The island, a former federal military prison during the 1850s, is now a popular tourist destination visited by 1 million people every year, and the island became a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, in the year 1972.
The island spread over 47 acres of rugged land, with moderate vegetation, was a Fort Lighthouse, Military Prison, Federal Penitentiary, and later inhabited by Native American Activists for a period of 19 months. Alcatraz Island, served as a military prison for the U.S Army, for deporting criminals to the island for more than 80 years. Al Capone the well-known gangster is a prison inmate of the island, along with many others. The prison was shut down in 1963, and was held by the Native American Activists, for their fight to equal rights, and later became a part of the San Francisco Bay, in 1972.
Visitors need to take a 20-min ride on a ferry, for visiting Alcatraz Island, from the Fisherman’s Wharf, and self-guided tours are available on the island to learn more about the Prison, the Fort, and the Lighthouse. The tour of the island, takes around 45 minutes, and interesting features include the Garden of Alcatraz, Oldest Lighthouse of the West coast, the Warden’s quarters and the club, Pelican bird colonies, recreation backyard, and the rugged rock pools.
The island is also home to the largest micro grids, in the United States, a solar diesel powered panel system, sitting atop the roof of the main prison, completely hidden from view. These solar panels, store energy and generate power to the island, saving money and reducing excess power consumption. The best and the busiest time of the year, to visit Alcatraz Island is during the summer and weekends, and availability of tickets in the summer is less, so advance booking is highly recommended.
Ferry cruise starts from 8:45 am every day, and the island closes at 4:30pm, and remains closed during Christmas and New Year. The tickets cost $39.90 for adults and children (12-17), and $37.65 for seniors, and $24.40 for children aged 5-11, and is free for toddlers under 4. Family tickets are available for 2 adults and 2 children (5-11) cost $120.25, and there are 12 departure times for the ferry, from 9:10am-3:50pm.
Tourists can check the departure schedule on the website to know the time slots and cost. There are different plans such as Day Tour, Night Tour, and Behind the Scenes Tour. You can purchase e-tickets using a Visa or Mastercard. You can view or download your ticket by signing into account. Note that only cancellations made 72 hours in advance of the reservation will qualify for full refund. Refunds will be processed within 14 days. You can read the ticket terms under the FAQ section.
