What to wear to Alcatraz island

Dress for the crossing and the island

The park's advice is the same all year: bring a light jacket or sweater no matter how nice the day starts out. Weather on the island can change suddenly and is often chillier than the mainland, so layers beat one heavy coat. The park says fog is common in summer and it rains in winter, so a rain layer helps then. A cold, foggy morning can turn sunny later in the day, so choose clothes you can take off and carry.

Shoes and the climb to the cellhouse

From the dock to the cellhouse is about a quarter mile with an elevation gain of about 130 feet, which the park compares to climbing a 13-storey building. Parts of the road are steep, so wear walking shoes with grip. Inside, the walk from the cellhouse to the recreation yard includes about 45 steps. Visitors who cannot manage the climb can use an electric tram, called the SEAT, which the park says runs about every half hour.

Getting to Pier 33

Ferries leave from Pier 33 on the Embarcadero, near Bay Street and a little south-east of Fisherman's Wharf. There is no general parking at Pier 33. Street parking is hard to find and metered for shorter times than a visit needs, and commercial lots nearby vary widely in price. The park recommends public transit and names the Muni F line. An accessible drop-off zone serves visitors with special needs, and Pier 33 has accessible parking stalls for visitors who show a disabled placard.

The crossing and the return

The park says the ferry runs approximately every thirty to forty minutes, and that you can return on any ferry. You are not tied to one departure for the way back, but the island closes earlier outside summer, so leave time. A short orientation on the dock introduces the island, and an American Sign Language version is available to watch. Your confirmation shows the departure for your booking, and schedules change with the season.

What you see and hear

Most of the visit is the cellhouse, where a self-guided audio tour covers the penitentiary years, 1934 to 1963. It is included with the ferry ticket and offered in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Mandarin, with transcripts available. The park describes the audio tour as covering the inside of the cellhouse. Beyond the cellhouse you can explore exhibits, including The Big Lockup, and attend the daily talks and programs run by park staff and volunteers. The orientation on arrival tells you what is on that day.

How long to allow

The park's pages ask you to plan on at least a couple of hours on the island, and one suggests two to three hours to visit it fully. Add the crossing each way and time at Pier 33, and do not stack a tight appointment on the mainland straight afterwards. The island closes earlier in fall, winter and spring than in summer, so a late start leaves you less time. Booking an earlier sailing gives you the most room, and you can return on any ferry once you are ready to leave.

Food, water and restrooms

There is no food service on the island. The park says food is allowed only on the dock, to protect seabirds, so eat before you board or after you return. Bottled water is allowed everywhere on the island, and drinking fountains and refill stations sit beside both restrooms, so a refillable bottle is a sensible thing to bring. Restrooms are at the dock and near the lighthouse. Hot drinks are sold at the bookstore in Building 64, so a hot drink on a cold day is possible even without a meal.

Pets and accessibility

Pets are not allowed on Alcatraz, though service animals are allowed wherever visitors are. The dock has an accessible restroom, and the cellhouse has an elevator to its second story. Assistive listening devices can be requested at the Pier 33 ticket booth. The audio tour also comes in audio-described and written formats, with a Braille transcript on request at the cellhouse and an American Sign Language version on a handheld device from cellhouse staff. The American Sign Language version needs no advance reservation, and the park describes Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33 as fully accessible.

Night visits

The park says the night program runs Tuesday to Saturday and includes the audio tour and evening skyline views. Some areas open by day are closed at night. The crossing, the climb and the weather are the same as by day, so the same layers and shoes apply, and a warm layer matters if you plan to stay out on the dock or the paths after the light fades. The night guide compares the two kinds of visit in more detail, and the buyer guide explains where each kind of ticket is sold.

Read next: Alcatraz night tour vs day tour — which one should you book

Before you travel

The island closes from time to time: on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day, rarely for extreme weather, and occasionally for repairs such as dock work. Look at the park's alerts page before you book and again in the days before you go. Weather is the other variable: the park describes it as unpredictable, so look at the forecast before you leave and carry your layers anyway. Check the sailing type on your booking as well, because the night program runs on fewer days than a day visit.

Who this isn't for

This guide is not for you if you plan to bring a pet, since the park does not allow them. It also won't suit anyone hoping to eat a meal on the island, because none is sold and food is allowed only on the dock. If you only want to see Alcatraz from the water, a bay cruise passes the island without landing, and you can skip the climb and the planning for the island itself.

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