A Tour of Alcatraz Island

Tour of Alcatraz Island

Landing in prison is not exactly my vision of a fun trip.  However, on one of my visits to San Francisco, our ferry landed at Alcatraz Island, where along with some friends, I got to tour a prison full of interesting history.

The Alcatraz Penitentiary allows visitors to tour the building where America’s most difficult and dangerous felons were incarcerated.  Al “Scarface” Capone, Robert “Birdman” Stroud, and George “Machine Gun” Kelly are some of those notorious figures that once sat behind bars on this island.

Escaping from Alcatraz was impossible, and out of 14 attempts, 0 inmates successfully escaped The Rock, despite making attempts.  However, some of those attempts became quite famous.

Alcatraz became a famous prison because of its reputation as one of the harshest prisons in the country.  It once operated with almost 1,600 criminals who lived under confinement in a building that resembles modern-day prisons.

Now a tourist destination, Alcatraz Island is one of the most enjoyed tours in San Francisco.  People are drawn to the history, architecture, and amazing views of the San Francisco skyline.

History of the Building

Before being a regular prison, Alcatraz Island was a U.S. military prison from 1850-1933.  It later became the prison that held the most dangerous inmates from 1934 to 1963.  After that, the government shut it down, and Native-American activists later occupied it.

Nowadays, Alcatraz holds the Alcatraz Triathlon annually.  Only conditioned and trained athletes can accomplish this 1.5-mile swim to the shore with conditioning and appropriate gear. It’s also a popular tourist attraction that draws about 1 million people a year to its premises.

History of Failed Attempts to Escape

Battle of Alcatraz

One of the most famous attempts of escape was in May of 1946 when six prisoners armed themselves taking the lives of two guards and injuring eighteen others.  Three of them were killed, and Marines captured three.  During this attempt, the convicts forced officers to surrender their keys but could not locate the most critical key needed to escape.

A correctional officer had hidden the one key needed to escape the recreational yard.  He hid it in the cell toilet where prisoners held the other correctional officers hostage.  The cell block ended in a raging battle where violent rage exploded.  As gunfire was released, many were critically injured.  This intent to escape became one of the most violent on the island.

The Great Escape

Another famous attempt was “The Great Escape.” In June of 1962, Frank Lee Morris was the brilliant mastermind of one notable attempt to escape.  The plan he designed took months.  Morris even fabricated a plan that included water survival gear.  After arriving at Alcatraz for many charges such as narcotics and armed robbery and spending many years in prisons, he learned the correctional system well.

Once on the island, he planned the “Great Escape” with three other inmates.   With a collection of several old blades and tools they found, they each dug their way out through vent holes that took much time to dig. Then, on the day of their escape, they used the fabricated dummy heads constructed from material they got hands on to trick the correctional officers.

They then left the island with their life preservers, water rafts, and raincoats.  Despite this seeming a successful escape, it is believed they drowned on their escape because they were never found.

Remember me telling you few can survive the 1.5-mile swim?  I don’t know about you, but after finishing the audio tour, I can’t help but wonder if they did make it to the shore. Perhaps they spent many years looking at Alcatraz Island from San Francisco, proud of their escape and laughing at how they tricked the officers.

This escape was so well-known that a movie was made about it.  The film is titled “Escape from Alcatraz,” starring Clint Eastwood.   I wish I had seen the movie before going to Alcatraz.  However, watching it afterward gave me a better vision of the escape I heard during the audio tour.

Read about the other escapes here.

How to Get There: Visiting Alcatraz Island

To get to the island, you take a short and serene ferry ride from Pier 39.  When you arrive, you get earphones for a self-guided audio tour of the building.  The audio tour will take approximately 45 minutes.  You will learn how “The Rock” came to be known as one of the most famous prisons.

After learning about the prison, you can walk around the island to enjoy the views of the bay area.  You will even have views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Times to visit:

Alcatraz Cruises book quickly in summer and near holidays; therefore, getting tickets early is important.  On my first couple of visits to San Francisco, I could not get tickets because they were sold out weeks in advance.  However, on my visit in January, we were able to get tickets a week before because of their low season.

Tickets:

You can buy tickets through Alcatraz Cruises.  Their hours of operation vary with the season, but their departures are every half hour, beginning at 9 AM.  It is best to look at their website to check closing times for the season you visit.  Alcatraz also has a special night tour where visitors can go on special guided tours after dark.  During this tour, you get to see off-limits locations during the day on the self-guided tours.

Weather:

The weather on Alcatraz Island may be unpredictable.  It may be windy and cool on the island while the city is warm and sunny. However, during the summer, it may get really cold due to thick winds and fog. Therefore, dressing in layers is the best option while visiting Alcatraz.

Fees and Services:

No food service is available on the island, but food brought in may only be eaten at the picnic area.  On the ferry, refreshments and food are available for purchase.

There is no entrance fee for the Island, but the ferry service charges for the ride there.  The price includes the cell house audio tour, which is offered in many different languages.  The audio tour includes the voice of inmates, officers, and residents who recount their memories of life on Alcatraz.

Have you been on a tour of Alcatraz Island?

Are you visiting San Francisco soon? Then, check out this guide:  best things to do in San Francisco.

A Tour of Alcatraz Island