We just thought we do a quick post on Alcatraz as it is one of those ‘must go and see whilst in San Francisco places’. For those who don’t know, Alcatraz was once an Army fortress, a military prison and then, most famously, a Maximum-Security Federal Penitentiary. It is now a National Park and extremely popular tourist attraction. It’s the scene for many cracking movies like ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ (Clint Eastwood) and ‘The Rock’ (Sean Connery).

Alcatraz is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay

To get to Alcatraz Island you need to catch a ferry ($26USD pp ticket) which takes about 45mins. ‘The Rock’ as it is affectionately named is located in San Francisco Bay and is easily visible from San Fran. We suggest booking your tickets a couple of days in advance to ensure you get your preferred date. Additionally if you are interested in doing a night tour of Alcatraz which is supposed to be amazing, then perhaps try and book on line a month or so from when you plan to go.

Ferry depart every halfa or so but they book up pretty quickly in summer.

Once you are there you need to go and pick up your own Audio Tour headset (included in price), which is narrated by former officers, inmates and residents. This 45 minute guide is fantastic and, apparently, award winning. You can stay on the Alcatraz all day if you want which allows you to explore the entire Island and areas that are perhaps not covered in the audio tour.

Lis in one of the cells on D Block.....

The waters of San Francisco Bay are icy cold, even in summer.

The Cell Block. Each cell block indicated how hardcore a criminal you were.

The Shower Room, need we say more.....

A typical prison cell. Homely heh?

A typical cell, furnished

Me in Broadway - nickname of one of the cell block strips.

Hall of Fame: Some very famous criminals did time in Alcatraz, including Al Capone, Robert "Birdman" Stroud, Clint Eastwood...

The exercise yard. We weren't allowed in that area for safety reasons.

The Kitchen. Apparently the food served here was some of the best in the US penitentiary system. Always fresh and hot.

The Laundry and uniform distribution area.

For More Photos of the Alcatraz please go to Photo Gallery….