• Visitor during the evening tour of Alcatraz gaze into the many cells that line up the corridor known as

    Alcatraz Island

    California

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  • Alcatraz Historic Preservation Projects

    Between 2011 and 2013, we are spending significant resources to make improvements to both the visitor experience and also to preserve the many historic buildings on the island. More »

For Kids

Many families planning a visit to Alcatraz worry about bringing children to a former penitentiary - they often ask us if it is appropriate for them. Our answer is a definite yes!

Our experience is that children enjoy the Rock but that they often find different aspects of an Alcatraz visit interesting - for example the ferry ride on San Francisco Bay, the abundance of flowers and birds that inhabit the island, the views of the surrounding towns, islands, and bridges, and the steep hill on the island. There is no reason to hesitate bringing children to the Rock.

Did You Know?

Hopi prisoners on Alcatraz in 1895.

In 1895 19 members of the Hopi Tribe were imprisoned by the U.S. Army on Alcatraz Island for resisting policies to "Americanize" their children. Today Hopi children continue to have the opportunity to learn their traditions and language.