Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz is a small island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, California, USA. It was formerly used as a military fort and a maximum security prison. Today the island is a historic site supervised by the National Park Service.

It is home to the now-abandoned prison, the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States, early military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools, a seabird colony, and unique views of the coastline.

Alcatraz was a military fort from 1850 to 1933. The island became a federal prison on January 1, 1934. During the 29 years it was in use, the jail held such notable criminals as Al Capone and Robert Franklin Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz. The penitentary was closed for good on March 21, 1963.

The island is also known as 'The Rock', and has been featured in such movies as "The Rock" and "Escape From Alcatraz".

There are many tours that head out to Alcatraz during the day, but each night there is a unique 3-hour tour that leaves shortly before sunset. Even though this tour gives you a better sense of the prison -- with daylight and without -- the 3 hours was a little excessive.

The tour begins by taking a ferry from Pier 33 that first circles around the island with features of the island and their histroy being explained. After docking, their is a guided walk up to the main prision building with a few stops to get you up to date on the history of the island. The guides are very knowledgable, interesting and eager to answer questions.

Upon entering the prison itself, the tour becomes self-guided audio. While informative, the tour loses something at this point. You are no longer in sync with everyone around you and the lack of clear direction can be confusing at times. You may find yourself listening to a section while looking at the wrong area. And while your surroundings are fascinating, 1 1/2 hours is more than enough time to take it all in (instead of the 3 hours you have).