Take Alcatraz Tours When You Visit San Francisco

For anyone who is visiting San Francisco, a particular spot you just can't pass up is the infamous Alcatraz prison. Spending some time to take one of the numerous Alcatraz tours might be the most memorable part of your vacation. There is a lot of history here, and many stories that surround the island and give the facility a particular atmosphere of eerie beauty.

Alcatraz tours happen all year long, so you'll be able to schedule your own visit to meet your schedule. If you would like to steer clear of the crowds, you can get your Alcatraz tickets for the winter months. It is usually cold, but you can enjoy the time on the island without feeling over crowded. Alternatively, if you wish to go when the temperature is favorable, take a look at April and May or perhaps September and October. However, oddly enough the mid-summer months are often cold and foggy out on the island.

As soon as you select a time to visit the island, there are several options available to you. For example, you can go on one of several professionally guided Alcatraz tours if you'd prefer being in larger groups and listening to tales from a real tour guide. However, in case you prefer going at your individual pace and avoiding the crowds, there are several great audio tours that contain the voices of former guards and inmates so you can get an idea of what it was like back when Alcatraz was still being used as a prison.

The history of this island extends back many years, and you'll begin to get an understanding for it through these tours. Probably the most infamous crooks in the country spent time in this prison, and for good reason. Most prisoners which served part of a sentence here were not immediately sentenced to Alcatraz. They had to earn their position at Alcatraz through extreme and continuously horrible behavior at other institutions.

Both Al Capone and Robert Stroud (the "Birdman" of Alcatraz) spent a while here, and most Alcatraz tours will take you to the cells where they spent most of their time. Alcatraz was in operation for practically 29 years, and in that time it saw a lot of infamous criminals and traumatic incidents, including 14 escape attempts. Some people even claim that the prison is haunted; however it's improbable that your tour will point out those spots to you.

If you know that you would like to spend some of your vacation going to the prison, you can buy your Alcatraz tickets early and start planning what you want to see. Alcatraz is really a large place, with 336 primary line cells and 42 solitary confinement rooms, there is a lot to experience. If you're not going on a tour of some kind, you'll want to be sure you can make the most of your time on the island without roaming aimlessly throughout the corridors.

Of all the San Francisco area attractions, Alcatraz tours are definitely some of the most well known. Whether you just want to experience part of the history of the island or you want to see one of the most well-known prisons on earth, this is a getaway you will not forget.

When you are looking for a place to visit why not consider a city that is full of history and surrounded by water. CityPASS provides you up to 49% off many San Francisco attractions. While you are there you can ride San Francisco cable cars, get a Muni pass or even take Alcatraz tours.

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By COM-TOUR.info