Alcatraz was on our list of things to do for no other reason than we were told it was one of those things you have to tick off when in San Francisco. It’s pretty great when you go into something with zero expectations and then it becomes one of the highlights of your trip isn’t it?
Here’s 5 reasons why you should go to Alcatraz
1) It’s brilliant value for money
$30US per person buys you the return ferry trip plus the cell house audio tour. Tickets are best pre-purchased online and ferries go at regular intervals through the day. We bought our tickets through Alcatraz Cruises. The ferry ride from Pier 33 takes about 20 minutes and we spent a good couple of hours on the island.
2) The view
Sit at the back left hand side of the ferry and on the way over to Alcatraz and take in the dramatic city skyline including the marina and the Golden Gate Bridge.
3) It’s so well done
Fearing Alcatraz would be all Disney-fied and full of razzmatazz we were really just ticking it off the to-do list. How wrong we were!
Disembarking off the ferry you are greeted by a park warden who welcomes you and gives you a low down of what to expect and where to head to. There is no food or drink available to buy on the island {apart from water which can be purchased in the book shops} and smoking, eating and drinking are only allowed at the dock. I like that don’t you?
The Park Warden explains the history behind the Indians Welcome graffiti which is so prominent as you approach the island. On November 20 1969, 80 Native Americans sailed over to Alcatraz and set up camp demanding the unused government land be used to establish a Native American University and Cultural Centre. The group stayed on the island until June 11, 1971 when they were forcibly evicted.
Once home to many of America’s notorious criminals, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that Alcatraz only operated as a prison from 1934 to 1963. Before that it was a lighthouse and during the Civil War it as used as a harbour defense fort and as you leave the dock and walk up the hill you’ll walk past the remains of old army buildings.
4) The Cell house Audio tour
Walking up and around the hill to the actual cell house will take around 10 minutes. Inside, the queue sneaks around the open showers where the prisoners were allowed two showers a week. No chance of hiding anything in those showers!
The queue moves quickly on the day we were there and we are soon being asked what language we want the audio tour in – it’s available in eleven languages. The audio tour is quite brilliant bringing history alive with the voices of actual prisoners and guards with sound effects for even more impact.
The tour twists and turns up and down the cell rows so you pass other people at different stages of the narration, but because you are moving and concentrating on the story there’s never a sense of any one being in your way or feeling too claustrophobic. At one point in the narration the prisoners and guards talk about an escape attempt in which a guard was killed and the noise of the fighting in my headphones puts my hair on end!
The cells are basic to say the least and narrower than my arm span. Designed as a maximum security, minimum priviledge facility, the architects certainly met their brief. Prisoners at other facilities who were thought to be too dangerous, who refused to conform or who were considered flight risks were sent to Alcatraz – essentially turning it into the Prison of Prisons.
These are the solitary confinement cells where prisoners were allowed out only for an hour a day. I’m not great in confined dark spaces so I’m glad I’ve been a good girl
5) The Ai Weiwei Special Event
Special events are held at Alcatraz throughout the year, and we were fortunate to time our visit with the Ai WeiWei installation. Thought provoking given the circumstances of it’s creator and the very existence of the installation on the site of a former prison I’d encourage you to read the link if you’d like to learn more about this particular special event.
Have you been to Alcatraz? What did you think? What’s on your travel wish list?
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