Why should out-of-towners have all the fun? Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s most famous tourist attractions, if not the whole country’s. But how many Bay Area kids have ever been? Not mine. I seized a recent mid-week day to take my four kids, ages 5 to 11, on their first Alcatraz tour. They loved it!
Pro-tip: During the school year, consider taking advantage of district-specific school’s out days to enjoy smaller crowds.
We recommend visiting Alcatraz to families with kids ages 6+ who can walk up 1/4 mile of steep paths and still handle the mechanics of a one-hour audio tour. It was a great day trip and would have been amazing with grandparents.
What to expect on Alcatraz with Kids
There are a few different tour options. My best estimate for a standard tour with children is about 2-3 hours (including the ferry ride). Alcatraz Tour tickets include a round-trip ferry ride (15 minutes each way); access to wander the island; a one-hour self-guided audio tour; a Junior Rangers activity book and badge; and a 20-minute historical movie. You can stay as long as you like.
We skipped the extra exploration and the free movie; we departed Pier 33 at 9:40 am and left Alcatraz at around noon. If you book the very first tour of the day, you will avoid the heaviest crowds.
Kid Highlights of Alcatraz: Audio Tour, Rec Yard, Birds, and Flowers
The scavenger hunt associated with the Jr. Rangers program was engaging for the kids; it kept their eyes open to different parts of the island as we walked around. And it is FREE. Bring your own pencils, since the Ranger station won’t always have any to lend.
Older kids like the audio tour. The audio tour was great for my 9- and 11-year-olds; my 7-year-old mostly enjoyed it, while my 5-year-old, when asked if she understood any of it afterwards, said, “I didn’t understand any of it at all”. We’ve also seen a 4-year-old give it about 12 minutes before losing interest. Luckily, she enjoyed walking around, seeing, and touching all the things.
The tour ends in the gift shop (of course), which has a lot of cool historical books for older kids. Little ones will want one of the cool brass keys to remind them of the guards and famous escape attempts, which was fine by me since I still have mine from a school field trip I took as a kid eons ago.
Ari, age 11, said, “The audio tour was interesting since I like history. Seeing inside the cells and standing in solitary was creepy and cool too. I want to read a book about Al Capone.”
Theo, age 9, said, “I liked how we were seeing the buildings as they were when the prisoners were in them. Like we were inside the past. I want to come back for the night tour!”
Jack, age 7, said, “I loved all the birds! And we saw a baby seagull being fed by its mom.”
Elaina, age 5, said, “The birds and flowers. The jail was fun too. And the boat.”
Kepler, age 4, said he liked running around the recreation yard, the gardens, and the ferry.
And they loved running back down the hill to the docks, finding things on the Junior Ranger bingo game, and watching the pelicans fight the seagulls.
Plan Ahead for Comforts on Alcatraz
This historical landmark was a prison, not a spa. And it’s a national park, not a mall.
- Book ahead. Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s most infamous attractions and sells out, especially on popular dates. The official operator is Alcatraz City Cruises, and the Day Tour currently includes the round-trip ferry and Cellhouse Audio Tour.
- Food and drink. Eat any snacks on board the ferry or immediately after landing. Only bottled water is allowed on the island after you leave the designated dock area.
- Nausea. Not a problem for my motion-sickness-prone family. A nice smooth ride.
- Bathrooms are only at the ferry landing on Alcatraz and up near the lighthouse.
- Shuttle. A shuttle runs to and from the cell house for those with limited mobility. Since I wanted my kids to burn off their energy, we didn’t use it.
- Skip the stroller. The terrain is steep and uneven. Plan to wear your baby or wait until they can walk.
- Wear comfy shoes and layers. It was cold and windy on the July day we went.
- Avoid the bugs. We’ve heard that cormorant flies can be a problem in September and October. They are everywhere on the ferry and dock, and settle on you if you aren’t moving. Some children might find this distressing.
Plan your trip to Alcatraz
Pick a future day for your adventure. Tickets are available for purchase 90 days in advance and sell out quickly (but if you want to go last minute, it’s worth checking, since a few tickets may be available here and there). Buy tickets here >
Ticket prices:
Adults and Juniors (ages 12-61): $47.95
Child (5-11): $27.55
Toddler (4 and under): FREE
Family Pack of 2 Adults and 2 Children (ages 5-11): $139.60
Senior 62+: $45.15
When Heather brought her boys a few years ago, she accidentally bought her tickets from a different website and paid $32 in extra fees. Ugh, don’t do that. Save your money for parking or chocolate. You want AlcatrazCityCruises.com and not any other website like ALCATRAZ TIX FOR YOU.
Getting to Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing from the East Bay
All Alcatraz Island tours depart from and return to Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing, on San Francisco’s northern waterfront at Bay Street on The Embarcadero (about 1/4 mile from Fisherman’s Wharf).
Pro tip: Odd pier numbers are north of the Ferry Building, and even numbers are south, so don’t look for Pier 32.
- Drive toward Fisherman’s Wharf & park in a very expensive lot. That’s what we did. Our parking fees were $40 for all day. We parked and allowed enough time to walk to Fisherman’s Wharf & back for In-N-Out and Krispy Kreme. You might save on parking if you parked at the Wharf. There are 15 lots within 5 blocks. This one is only $25 if you don’t mind a bit of a longer walk.
- Ferry to Pier 41 from either Alameda or Oakland to within .25 miles of Alcatraz Landing.
- BART/MUNI combo: Take your favorite East Bay line to the Embarcadero station and take the F-Market streetcar along the Embarcadero to Pier 33.
Bottom line: It is a fun splurge for school-age kids. If you are looking for more fun Bay Area activities with kids, check out 50 things to do when school is out.
Thank you to Alcatraz City Cruises by Hornblower for this amazing Alcatraz experience. We look forward to going back when the grandparents are in town for a spooky Night Tour!
