By Toni Owen
Alcatraz sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay.
Alcatraz Island was America's most notorious maximum security prison for 29 years and is now one of
San Francisco's most popular tours. Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, reservations are needed weeks in advance.
Tours begin in San Francisco and end on a windy, 22-acre island where you can serve as much--or little--time as you want in the cells where Machine Gun Kelly and Al "Scarface" Capone (cell 181) served their sentences. Fifteen-minute
cruises leave every half hour from Alcatraz Landing on Pier 33 on the Embarcadero.
Wows and Woes
Boarding the ferry to the Rock.
You will climb the equivalent of a 13-story building and it's a two-hour tour. Food and drink aren't allowed past the dock, but there are water fountains in the cellblock and the ferry has a snack bar. You may bring a picnic to eat at the docks.
Insider Tips
The day tour is self guided with a 45-minute audio tour of the cellblock in guards' and inmates' own words. The ferry circles the island with a live narration on the evening tour, there's a guided tour to the cellblock and access to special areas. The two night trips in summer fill up two months in advance. Alcatraz Cruises is the only official tour/ferry and has the cheapest prices.
Author's Most Memorable Moment
We walked down to the west shore where frigid, furious Bay waves slam against the rocks. It was easy to imagine a lifer's dilemma: brave the deadly tides or settle for incarceration within sight of freedom in one of the most beautiful cities in the world just 1.4 miles away. We'd heard ten were shot or drowned in 23 escape attempts--just five made it off the Rock alive.
Bottom Line
You see more of the island (bird sanctuary, Civil War buildings, the west's oldest lighthouse) during the day tour, but the night has its spooky atmosphere and golden sunset.
Resources
About the Author:
Toni Owen started writing in 1975. Owen is a journalist published in "Newsweek" and the "San Francisco Chronicle." She was an editor in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Banff, Alberta. Owen has a master's degree in English education and won the national C. Everett Koop Award.
Photo Credits:
TS Owen photos
