Alcatraz Island

The cruise was really good. it was windy and the chill air was refreshing. the view of SFO from the island was awesome. the walking tour was really interesting for sometime with headset attached tape explaining about every part and places of the jail. it gives us the feel of how the prisoners lived there. we can walk around and check each cell. if you are really intersted to know about the history of this prison, you should go here. other than that there is nothing much beyond to see.

Good to tour once, but definitely not a joy for the senses. It’s always cold and windy on the island, and there isn’t a place to sit down if you get tired. The prison itself is interesting—you’re allowed to walk into some of the cells and sample the beds of the ex-prisoners. Also, the courtyard offers a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline.

Alcatraz is surprisingly fun for everyone. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy it. I once took a date on the "night cruise" ... that was memorable.

As other reviewers have noted, "The Rock" is a pretty cold place. The chill embrace of the wind however, is perfect to give you a little taste of the experience that the prison's one time inhabitants had on a daily basis, not to mention that it helps you to empathize with just how hypothermia-inducingly cold it is in the bay, which some prisoners were desperate enough to try and swim. Being a long time afficionado of Alcatraz history myself, it was amazing to actually be able to run my hand over the bulletholes where the "Battle of Alcatraz" (where a greased-up, half-starved, naked Bernard McCoy squeezed through the bars into the gun gallery, arming other prisoners and starting a riot) met its ignoble end. While standing in one of the cells, I considered how sometimes the laughter of pretty girls would be carried over from parties held in wealthy clubs in prosperous San Francisco on the chill winds that blew through the bars of the cell block windows. In that moment I felt as profoundl... Read more

I've been once, and its a spectacular view of the city, which I thought must have been particularly cruel to those that used to be incarcerated there.Its damn cold too, even on a supposedly warm summer day.

Bring a jacket no matter what time of the year you go because you are probably going to need it. Be prepared for a walk as there are no lifts or rides on the island. It's a nice ferry ride across the bay and the tour is worth the climb I mean walk, well you will see what I mean if you make the trip. It's hard to imagine that they actually kept prisoners here as it is very grim, something are prisons lack today.

Good place to see how it used to be. And how people are always resourceful enough to overcome authority.

Certainly it's a unique tourist attraction. I've been there twice over the years and was fascinated each time. Who can say that the ghosts of Al Capone, Machine-Gun Kelly, and Alvin Karpis don't still wander through its grim, crumbling hallways? For those not quite taken with the penal ambiance (what joyless lives such people must lead!), the skyline of San Francisco in the distance is absolutely breath-taking, as is the exquisite beauty of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you're in the San Francisco area, this is one attraction that shouldn't be missed.

I have never actually gone on the Alcatraz tour (My siblings and I were a little on the young side last time I lived in CA!) but we did take the boat cruise around the bay, and my mom gave me a 'semi-tour' as our boat passed it by! The feeling of being stranded out on that freezing island must have been miserable for the prisoners and the families of the guards! (whose housing you can also see). All in all, it's a morbidly fascinating site to see even if you only view it from the outside!

Alcatraz is a must see while visiting San Francisco. The ferry ride over offers beautiful vistas of San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay. Definately take the audio tour. It is really interesting. Dress warmly, sweaters and jackets, it always gets chilly in the afternoon there.

Alcatraz is so interesting to people (feeding off our morbid curiosity) and it's well worth the tour. The boat ride out to it is just as much fun as the actual tour, as well! I must say, it does get windy and cold out on the bay, and you need to get your tickets early in the day if you want to secure a spot on this fast-filling attraction, but it's worth it!

Alcatraz was a very cool place to visit. Being fascinated by prison, Alcatraz in particular, I found the tour interesting. There is an audio tour which takes you through the cell house and is narrated by prison guards and former inmates - I would definitely recommend a visit if you're in the San Fran area.

The smell of years and years of "inadequate" toilet facilities for the prisoners got to me after a while. Interesting, though.

I visited this great old attraction about two years back, and it was almost everything I thought it would be. I would recommend that you take the ferry when you visit because the ride over to Alcatraz is short and fun. I like the audio headsets that you receive when you walk around the jails. It really adds to your experience.

I've only been there once and it's kinda boring and not much to see. I think they should have kept it as a jail. There really is no reason good enough not to.

Fascinating place. Historic. Beautiful to ride around it, but filled with the stench of death and misery. Boring tour. Not allowed to wander yourself.

This tour was pretty surreal for me. My husband is a "History Channel" buff, so I have sat through many documentaries of Alcatraz. However, knowing the history made the ferry ride and tour even more amazing. The ride out offers some fantastic views, of the city, the Golden Gate Bridge and the ocean. I highly recommend the audio tour given by former prison guards and inmates. A rich and interesting history tour at reasonable price!

Its a good tour, but the best thing about Alcatraz are the views looking back at the City and the Golden Gate from the island as well as on the ferry ride out to the island. The headphones jail tour is well done and you can just roam around on your own which is neat. Definately something a 1st time tourist must see and do while in SF.

I love going here. I've been there 7 times. Once I strayed off the tour and my owns adventure. I recommend doing that.

I thought Alcatraz was a different kind of place to go. It's not really the kind of place to visit to really let yourself go, as you could when you go to the beach or something. Instead, you'll have to go with a bit more serious-inquiring-curious-kind of attitude. All the little facts and everything are very interesting, but after a while, seeing jail cell after jail cell did get a little boring.

Alcatraz Island is an experience to have. It is fun and exciting. Even though it is a prison site, it is still beautiful. It has wonderful views of the Bay.

This place is awesome to see. It is so big, it's hard to believe that it once was a home to deadly criminals.

The boat ride over is very pretty. The lines are too long however. Once on the island, it's pretty cool.

Alcatraz Island is really great. We have to commute that way on the ferry, and the jail is cool to see.

The National Park Service's tour of Alcatraz is a fascinating experience. From the ferry ride to the audio tour (included in the ticket price), there is never a dull moment. I especially enjoyed learning about the famous inmates and escape attempts. Be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time, though, because they often sell out several days in advance.

I found this place very interesting and it was neat learning about the history of the prison.

This is another great feature of San Francisco. It is a great site, however it tends to be cold out on the water.

I have never visited the place before, but I have heard cool things about it. People should publicize it more, and make tours more available to the public. Maybe build an attraction on the island.

This informational tour begins with a beautiful ride to the island across the San Francisco Bay. The Island itself is fun and intriguing. It allows the visitor to imagine the environment as a prisoner from the 1930-1960's, with a self guided tour around the island to a walkman tour inside the actual prison. Alcatraz makes for an interesting and fun event for a day.

Alcatraz is a good experience for young students to know and see the history.

This used to be an interesting attraction, but not anymore.

It's fun and a great learning experience but I would like to see more artifacts. But I like that you can take a listening tour.

Alcatraz Island is great because of all the history and they also do the tour very well.

A must-see for anyone visiting SF. Always cool and damp, it couldn't have been fun to be an inmate there.

Great trip, especially if you like history. Definitely do the audio tour!

Definitely worth a visit. Take the self-guided audio tour - it takes about 45 minutes and you get to hear ex-Alcatraz guards and inmates talk about thier experiences. Really cool history.