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Alcatraz Island, San Francisco

4.7

#1 of 6,177 in Nature in United States

Island National Park Must See

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Tour the infamous former maximum-security penitentiary on Alcatraz Island. Nicknamed The Rock, this small island in the San Francisco Bay is now a national park. After taking a ferry to the island, follow the audio guide, available in ten languages. You'll go through the inside of the old prison's facilities, which include a lighthouse, military fortifications, and cellblocks. Though long considered escape-proof, the prison suffered an irreparable blow to its reputation in 1962, when three inmates mysteriously disappeared using a makeshift raft. Explore the protected recreation area with a park ranger, who can enhance your visit with little-known information about the island's current inhabitants: the black-crested night herons and western gulls. Using our custom trip planner, San Francisco attractions like Alcatraz Island can form part of a personalized travel itinerary.

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Alcatraz Island Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

50,764 reviews

Google

4.7

facebook

4.8

45,951 likes

• By juergzingg

  Gute Führung die natürlich nicht gerade leicht verträglich für das Gemüt sind. Dennoch viel gelernt und erfahren.  more »

  You of course not just easily tolerated are good for the mind. However, much learned and experienced.
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• By imgavinjohnson

  Apart from the ferry ride, totally awesome experience. Would recommend even if you live here, you gotta do it once  more »

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Google

• By Ericka Lutz

  Loved it. It's definitely a place everyone should experience once in their life. I also loved how they allow you to ship your souvenirs back to your home. It's just a really neat experience all together. I also loved the guy who greeted me and my boyfriend when we first got upstairs to start the tour. He knew the city we were from on the East Coast and even knew really neat facts about our hometown.

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• By Stacey Peck

  Wow where do I start with this place. I could’ve walked around this island for hours. So interesting and full of fascinating history. If you are a little interested in this type of stuff you definitely need to visit this place. Even my kids had a blast and were interested in what this island represented. The audio tour was such as added bonus. It’s exactly what’s needed to make your tour complete. So so so cool

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