Alcatraz Island - 5 Things to Know Before Visiting

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About Alcatraz Island

Developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison that seized operations in the 1960s. Today the small island is open for tours.

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Hotels to stay near Alcatraz Island

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Activities Around

Attractions Near Alcatraz Island

SS Jeremiah O'Brien

SS Jeremiah O'Brien

1.82km from Alcatraz Island

The SS Jeremiah O'Brien is one of two remaining fully functional Liberty ships of the 2,710 built and launched during World War II. Now based in San Francisco, she is a rare survivor of the 6,939-ship 6 June 1944 D-Day armada off the coast of Normandy, France.

USS Pampanito

USS Pampanito

1.98km from Alcatraz Island

The USS Pampanito is a meticulously restored World War II diesel-electric powered submarine. Located at Historic Pier 45, in the heart of Fisherman's Wharf, Pampanito is both a museum and a memorial to those who served in the "silent service." Built in 1943, Pampanito made six patrols in the Pacific during which she sank six enemy ships and damaged four others. Open daily to the public, offering self-guided audio tours and docent-led tours.

Musée Mécanique

Musée Mécanique

2.06km from Alcatraz Island

The Musée Mécanique is a for-profit interactive museum of 20th-century penny arcade games and artifacts, located at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California. With over 300 mechanical machines, it is one of the world's largest privately owned collections.

Hyde Street Pier

Hyde Street Pier

2.09km from Alcatraz Island

Hyde Street Pier is home to the fleet of historic landmark vessels in the collection of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, which is a unit of the National Park System. For a modest admission fee, visitors can board this fleet of turn-of-century historic ships.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located in San Francisco, California, United States. The park includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility.

Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf

2.17km from Alcatraz Island

One of the popular tourist attractions in San Francisco. It roughly encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street. It is one of the busiest and well-known tourist attractions in the western United States. Other tourist attractions at the wharf include museums, souvenir stores, historical buildings, scenic vistas over the Bay and the famous sea lions at Pier 39.

Discover More Attractions in San Francisco County, Home of Alcatraz Island

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Location of Alcatraz Island

What Visitors Say About Alcatraz Island

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Noble Abraham

Noble Abraham

2017-02-15

The pictures were taken from the Golden gate bridge as I wasn't fortunate enough to secure my tickets for the tour to the island. So, plan ahead & get your tickets if you are interested to visit "The Rock" which was once a maximum security prison and held the most notorious criminals during its years of operation from 1934 to 1963. The prison got it's nickname as no inmates ever managed to escape "The Rock" though there were numerous recorded attempts were made. The prison was shut down due to high operational costs.

Over the years, the prison has been depicted in quite a number of movies such as the Black Mass which evolved it into a tourist spot. There are day and night tour to the iconic prison island and its ecouraged that you visit websites for Alcatraz Cruises and the National Park Service to check on availability, terms and conditions and any seasonal or operational changes.

Alcatraz Cruises: https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm
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For more information about Alcatraz Island, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Island

To view all hotels near Alcatraz Island, visit: Hotels near Alcatraz Island