Nature reclaims her own, time and again. She heals, restores and, eventually, makes whole that which is broken. It is why we go into the woods when we feel overwhelmed beyond help. It is why Walden appeals. It is why one of the top ways to stay mentally healthy is to get outside.
Alcatraz is a reminder of the beauty and the crushing ability to cleanse that nature holds.
For a place that housed some of the worst of human stories and conditions, some of the saddest of broken minds and spirits, it is stunningly gorgeous. Huge succulents cascade down brick walls meant to punish; birds roost and raise their young in buildings destroyed by fire.
The ravished landscape is made ravishing when humans let nature be.
New to our Trip? Be sure to check out our kick-off article and FAQs on our trip up California’s Route 1 with the family. The full itinerary, including stops and lodging, can be found here.
When we decided to head to California as our big family vacation this spring, our youngest child was beyond excited about one spot: Alcatraz. I don’t think that he’s alone, nor do I think there is anything morbid about that. There is something in the iconic, identifiable, historic, creepy place, paired with the stories of men who beat The Rock through escape, that appeals to a lot of kids people.
Yet we were traveling while COVID cases were going down and the world of travel and tourism was very much uncertain and different. It wasn’t until about two weeks prior to our trip that Alcatraz reopened for visitors. We felt lucky, and elated.
It turns out, our feelings were appropriate. This was a really amazing and memorable trip, one definitely worth making.
Prepare for your visit to Alcatraz
Every major family adventure we do, we make our kids pick things we are going to see and write reports on them. Don’t worry, we don’t give them grades. But we’ve discovered it’s a really wonderful way to a) get them excited about the trip, b) have them engage with the places we are going in a pronounced way, and c) learn a lot about the places we are going to see.
So, of course, our third grader chose to do his report on Alcatraz.
He read this book (affiliate link), which we actually then ALL read.
My husband watched this movie when he got home, but wished he had watched it beforehand. Of course, this is NOT appropriate for our kids. But incidentally, we learned that it is the most accurate Hollywood depiction of Alcatraz there is.
We got our tickets to Alcatraz as soon as we could. A silver lining of COVID: tickets are usually really hard to get. They sell out months in advance. But due to the fact that things were just reopening, we were able to snag some.
NOTE: Be sure you get tickets on the proper cruise!! Only one is the licensed carrier to dock at Alcatraz and let tourists off. Other “Alcatraz cruises” literally just cruise around the island. If you’re planning on getting off and walking around Alcatraz, get tickets on the right boat (alcatrazcruises.com).
Tickets to ride the boat aren’t cheap (around $40 per adult), but that is the total cost. There isn’t any entry fee or additional cost to do the audio tour of the cellhouse.
By way of practical tips:
- Pack sunscreen! Even though it was chilly during our trip, it was sunny.
- Pack water. Bring some snacks – not much is for sale on the island. While you can’t eat anywhere but at the dock, it is worth having something light to eat, just in case.
- Wear comfortable shoes. While Alcatraz isn’t huge, it is very steep. In fact, if you are taking young ones, strollers would work but just be prepared to do the hard work of pushing uphill.
- Dress in layers (a general rule for California). If we were in the wind, we were chilly. If we weren’t, we were hot.
I will also throw this random, unique tidbit out there –
Read up on ALL the history of Alcatraz. I had never heard of the Indian occupation of Alcatraz, but the marks of that phenomenal piece of history are still visible. I wish I had known more!
How to get the most out of your time on Alcatraz
We were on the first boat out in the morning, and arrived at the loading dock a little early. I recommend that, as there are some exhibits for the kids to look at while waiting for departure.
Once we got off the boat, we used our young(ish) legs and hauled up the hill quickly – straight to the cellhouse at the top. We knew there was going to be a crowd (afterall, we just cruised over with them). We ended up being some of the first to get to the cellhouse and didn’t have to wait in line.
Definitely plan to do the audio tour! It is free and added so much to our experience. There were stories told by people who were actually prisoners on Alcatraz. A little creepy, but also really interesting. It reminded us that what happened in these walls happened to real people.
The boat schedule was every hour. It left the pier in San Francisco on the hour, and then left the island back for San Francisco at 20 after the hour. One hour wasn’t enough time to be on Alcatraz. But two hours felt long. I would recommend bringing snacks (see above) and planning to be on Alcatraz for the two hours.
They do have Junior Ranger programs at Alcatraz. (As I’ve explained before, we don’t do those as our oldest in particular then gets so obsessed with the pamphlet and word games that he never looks up from the paper at the actual place we are.)
The audio tour pointed out some really amazing details, including the original cells where the men successfully escaped, as well as stories about failed attempts at escape.
But we spent a lot of time talking with our kids, too, trying to process everything. I was overwhelmed by the suffering contained on the island – sometimes the feelings were so acute the hair on my arms stood on end – and I have no doubt that tortured spirits are stuck somewhere inside.
We wanted our kids to not just take home the myth and legend, but we wanted to invoke empathy and the truth of the place as well – as much as we could that was age appropriate and didn’t detract from the experience.
One of the most resonant stories told on the audio tour was of prisoners looking out the barred windows, stuck in this hell, hearing the sounds of the wealthy partying and laughing across the bay. The prisoners would see, hear and smell what they couldn’t have: freedom.
We spent a lot of time then wandering the gardens. There are stunning views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate, and the green, verdant peaks rising up on the opposite shoreline across the bridge.
Thoughts on visiting Alcatraz
As shared in the introduction to this post, I was incredibly taken aback by how beautiful this place is. When we were reading plaques explaining how grand banquets were held for those who worked on the island and at the prison, I was not surprised. I could envision it. The vegetative lushness around us screamed excess and luxury.
When we were told stories of the kids being raised on Alcatraz, it was easy to forget they were raised in the shadow of an infamous federal prison and, instead, think of how glorious it must have been running wild in such a beautiful and mystery place, nestled in blue waters and scenic views.
But one of the things that Mr. Family Trip and I noticed and discussed was how, even though this is a National Park, it is being maintained but not restored. It is being left as it was left.
I love this.
Alcatraz is not being overhauled to be a Disney experience. This is real life. All of the remnants of decisions humans have made over the past centuries are on display – the good and the bad.
This is a really powerful way to preserve a national landmark. And it’s also brave. Alcatraz hasn’t removed the spray-painted resistance message on the water tower. They haven’t tried to cover up the rebar of buildings that burnt down. Crumbling steps are roped off but given permission to continue to crumble. It is easy to recognize that these are the actual steps humans decades before me walked their lives on.
Everything feels so real. And because of that, it affects deep down and on a visceral level.
It is definitely worth the half day and the expense to visit this most unique of National Parks, to engage in big questions about institutional memory and what we hold on to, to feel the power of nature to reclaim. It is definitely worth a trip to Alcatraz.