alcatraz-island.visit-san-francisco.comAlcatraz Island

Visit San Francisco Menu Visit San Francisco San Francisco Hotels San Francisco Sites ▶ Featured San Francisco Hotels ▶ Hotels A-G ▶ Argonaut Hotel Axiom Hotel Best Western Plus The Tuscan Clift, A Morgans Original Club Quarters San Francisco Courtyard By Marriott San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf The Fairmont Heritage Place Ghirardelli Square The Fairmont San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco Galleria Park Hotel Grand Hyatt San Francisco Hotels H-I ▶ Hilton San Francisco Hilton San Francisco Financial District Hotel Bijou Hotel G San Francisco Hotel Mark Twain Hotel Nikko San Francisco Hotel Union Square San Francisco Hotel Vitale, a Joie de Vivre Hotel Hotel Zeppelin San Francisco Hotel Zetta San Francisco Hyatt Centric Fishermans Wharf San Francisco Hyatt Regency San Francisco Intercontinental San Francisco Hotels J-P ▶ JW Marriott SanFrancisco Union Square The Kimpton Buchanan Le Meridien San Francisco Loews Regency San Francisco Hotel Mark Hopkins Intercontinental San Francisco The Marker San Francisco Marriott San Francisco Marquis Omni San Francisco Hotel Orchard Garden Hotel Orchard Hotel Palace Hotel, San Francisco Parc 55 San Francisco, a Hilton Hotel Park Central San Francisco Union Square Hotels R-Z ▶ The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco San Francisco Marriott Union Square The Scarlet Huntington Serrano Hotel Sheraton Fishermans Wharf Sir Francis Drake, a Kimpton Hotel Sofitel San Francisco Bay St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco Stanford Court San Francisco Taj Campton Place W San Francisco The Westin St. Francis San Francisco On Union Square Featured San Francisco Neighborhoods ▶ Neighborhoods A-H ▶ Chinatown Hotels Embarcadero Hotels Fillmore District Hotels Financial District Hotels Fisherman’s Wharf Hotels Fort Mason Hotels Haight-Ashbury Hotels Hunters Point Hotels Neighborhoods I-P ▶ Japantown Hotels Lower Pacific Heights Hotels Marina District Hotels Mission District Hotels Nob Hill Hotels North Beach Hotels Pacific Heights Hotels Neighborhoods R-Z ▶ Richmond District Hotels Russian Hill Hotels Sea Cliff Hotels South Beach Hotels South of Market Hotels Sunset District Hotels Treasure Island Hotels Union Square Hotels Western Addition Hotels Featured San Francisco Area Cities and Towns ▶ Cities A-D ▶ Alameda Hotels Belmont Hotels Berkeley Hotels Brisbane Hotels Burlingame Hotels Cupertino Hotels Daly City Hotels Cities E-L ▶ Half Moon Bay Hotels Lafayette Hotels Larkspur Hotels Los Altos Hotels Los Gatos Hotels Cities M-R ▶ Menlo Park Hotels Mill Valley Hotels Millbrae Hotels Milpitas Hotels Mountain View Hotels Newark Hotels Oakland Hotels Pacifica Hotels Palo Alto Hotels Pleasanton Hotels Redwood City Hotels Richmond Hotels Cities S-Z ▶ San Francisco Hotels San Jose Hotels San Leandro Hotels San Mateo Hotels San Pablo Hotels San Rafael Hotels San Ramon Hotels Santa Clara Hotels Sausalito Hotels South San Francisco Hotels Sunnyvale Hotels Union City Hotels Walnut Creek Hotels San Francisco Area Attractions ▶ Attractions A-E ▶ Angel Island Bay Cruises Cable Cars California Academy of Sciences The Cannery The Exploratorium Attractions F-N ▶ Fisherman’s Wharf Ghirardelli Square Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Park Green Tortoise Adventure Travel Liberty Ship Muir Woods Attractions O-Z ▶ Palace of Fine Arts Pier 39 The Presidio San Francisco Colleges and Universities San Francisco Hang Gliding Center USS Hornet USS Pampanito San Francisco Area Cruises ▶ Acapulco Cruises Alaska Cruises Australian and New Zealand Cruises Ensenada Cruises Hawaii Cruises Hong Kong Cruises Los Angeles Cruises San Diego Cruises San Francisco Cruises Seattle Cruises Sydney Cruises Tahiti Cruises Vancouver Cruises Make Travel Arrangements Hotels Flights Vacations Rental Cars Check in Day Month Check out Day Month Search Hotels Check in Day Month Check out Day Month Search Vacations Return at a different location? Pick up Day Month Drop off Day Month Search Rentals Round Trip One Way Multi City Depart Day Month Return Day Month Cabin Class Economy/Coach Premium Economy Business First Search Flights Depart Day Month Cabin Class Economy/Coach Premium Economy Business First Search Flights Flight 1 Depart Day Month Flight 2 Depart Day Month + Add Flight Flight 3 Depart Day Month - Remove Flight + Add Flight Flight 4 Depart Day Month - Remove Flight + Add Flight Flight 5 Check-in Day Month - Remove Flight Cabin Class Economy/Coach Premium Economy Business First Search Flights San Francisco Weather San Francisco Area Map Hotel Display Count 37.827 -122.423 Written by Scott Messmore At one time or another, has been home to bank robbers and murderers, Confederate sailors, "renegade" Indians and military deserters. Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, the Birdman of Alcatraz Al Capone did time for tax evasion on Alcatraz. Machine Gun Kelly was locked up for kidnapping and bank robbery. The "Bird man of Alcatraz" was sent to the Rock for murder. With swift moving currents that and a bone-chilling, 53 degree water temperature swimming across the Bay to the city wasn’t as easy as it looks. It’s still not proven if any convict ever escaped the island prison. While most Americans think of an escape proof prison when Alcatraz is mentioned, in fact the island served as part of the defense for San Francisco as far back as the 1850s. As one National Parks web page puts it, was the place you were sent to "when you had blown it everywhere else". Cannons, Confederates and Guarding the Gate San Francisco is the largest natural bay on the west coast of the United States and that fact wasn’t soon lost on the War Department. Fortifying was the first military defenses built for San Francisco. The first cannons, some of which were massive 15-inch wide guns that fired 450-pound cannon balls, were put into place as early as 1854. The Civil War was the event that put Alcatraz on the map. The War Department wanted the fort to protect the Bay from Confederate warships. Many of the island’s early prisoners were in fact the crew of a Confederate privateer. Fort Alcatraz continued as the first line of defense against foreign invaders for the next 50 years but the increasing power of modern cannons eventually bypassed the fort’s defensive works. Fortifying In 1907, was transformed into the Pacific branch of the U.S. Military Prison system. During the Great Depression, the military prison was transferred to the civilian sector to save defense money. In 1934, the Department of Justice created the federal prison on to house the worst of the worst in America. Visiting can be tiring for some tourists since the trek to the top of the cell house is a whopping one-quarter of a mile. A shuttle operates each hour to carry visitors up the slope. Hungry visitors should eat before they leave the bay shore or bring food with them. No food is sold on the island although a place to eat is located by the dock. Alcatraz visitation starts at 9:30 a.m. with departures to the Island every half an hour. In the summer time the Island closes at 6:30 p.m. and at 4:30 p.m. the rest of the year. The only days is closed are Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The National Park Service strongly advises visitors to get advance ferry tickets from the Blue & Gold Fleet since tourist volume can be so heavy during the summer months. Tours can sometimes sell out a week in advance. Present fares to Alcatraz if ordered by telephone are: adults: $14.50; seniors older than 62: $12.75; children 12 to 18:$14.50 and $9.25 for children from five to 11 years old. Prices include ferry ride and audio tour. Check Hotel Availability nearby San Francisco Other Destinations Visit Fort Lauderdale Visit Hawaiian Islands Visit San Diego Visit Orlando Florida Visit New York City Visit Costa Rica Visit the Cayman Islands Visit Barbados Copyright © 2002-2016 Last Updated: September 24, 2016 Analytical Software Packages,...