We recently took an international flight that required a positioning flight to San Francisco. Our international flight didn’t leave SFO until 6 pm, so I was confident we could depart San Diego on the same day and not have any problems. However, my oldest had been talking a lot about Alcatraz, thanks to a book he had read with his 5th-grade class. So, we decided to fly up a day early, jet out to Alcatraz for a few hours, and then have plenty of stress-free time the next day before our long-haul flight took off. Here’s my guide to exploring Alcatraz with kids in tow.
Before you go
Book ahead of time! Alcatraz sells out quickly, so be sure to book your tickets early. Fun fact: Alcatraz is a National Park! (did you know this? I did not know this). Anyway, the National Parks website has a lot of great info on Alcatraz, but they don’t actually sell the tickets. To purchase tickets, you’ll need to go here.
Tickets go on sale 90 days in advance, and I set an alert in my calendar to jump on them the day they went on sale. Ticket costs are:
• $45.25 for adults (age 12 and up!)
• $27.55 for kids aged 5-11
• Alternatively, there’s a family pack option for 2 adults + 2 kids for $131.85.
Your ticket price includes the following:
• Round trip ferry ride
• Entrance to Alcatraz
• Headsets for the audio tour
Getting there
The ferry departs from Pier 33 in Fisherman’s Wharf. You’ll start lining up about half an hour before your scheduled ferry time. There’s a neat model of Alcatraz out front that my boys enjoyed looking at. There are public restrooms and some tables and chairs. However, no food is allowed in this area, so snack before entering the space.
The ferry ride takes about 15 minutes. The boats have indoor and outdoor seating, and the indoor area has a snack bar with hot chocolate, soda, and snacks. They accept credit cards.
I always prefer outdoor seating on boats. I enjoy watching the water, and it helps if people in your group are prone to seasickness. If you also enjoy an outdoor seat, the greatest tip I can give you is to dress warmly. Granted, we are real babies regarding the cold, but I can’t stress how incredibly freezing this journey was. We went in early July and wore sweatshirts under our puffy North Face coats, and I’ve never been so cold in my life.
When you exit the ferry at Alcatraz, you’ll see a sign showing return ferry times. Snap a pic of this so you have it on your phone. You don’t reserve the return ferry home; just plan on lining up at the dock about 20 minutes before the scheduled departure.
Exploring Alcatraz
There’s a small visitors center when you first exit the ferry, but the good stuff is at the top of the hill.
Follow the signs that read “Cellhouse Audio Tour” and start making the hike up to the top (I say “hike” but really it’s just an old street that leads uphill to the main prison). We paused a few time to peek in windows (there’s an old morgue! 😱) and also lots of nests of baby seagulls.
Once you enter the main prison, you’ll be given a pair of headsets with an audio tour. The tour is very cool, if not a bit scary. It fascinated my boys (aged 10 and 11 at the time), but I could see how younger children might get spooked. The audio tour took about an hour, and we paused for a bit to explore the rec yard (which, btw also doubles as a freezing wind tunnel).
Timing-wise, allow yourself 2-3 hours (this includes the ferry time), but it depends on how quickly your group moves.
TL;DR
You should pencil in a quick trip to Alcatraz on your next visit to San Francisco. It’s a fast and easy journey that my two kiddos loved. My two big tips: book early and dress warmly!
