Staff and volunteers offer a variety of programs that invite visitors to explore the complex history and legacies of Alcatraz. Special programs, guest authors, and other opportunities are covered in an orientation you will receive at first arrival on the island: There are program boards and boat schedules at the dock and in the cellhouse.
The self-guiding Alcatraz Cellhouse Audio Tour is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Mandarin. Transcripts of these tours, including an English Braille version, are also available. The audio tour is included when you purchase your ferry ticket, and covers the inside of the cellhouse (at the top of the island) during the penitentiary era (1934-1963). To obtain refunds for the audio tour should you not wish to or not be able to utilize it, ask for a supervisor in the cellhouse. Additional exhibits and videos available on the island cover other aspects of Alcatraz's unique history.
