Visiting Alcatraz was one of the highlights of my trip. My friend and I were fortunate to get some last minute tickets as I was not aware of just how popular it is and how far in advance it sells out.
Once we arrived at Alcatraz we wandered up the hill to the main prison cellblock. Inside we picked up audio guides and began the self guided tour. Although the tour at times got you slightly lost and was a little boring it did a good job at explaining the key events and history of the Alcatraz Prison.
What was particularly eye opening was the isolation unit in D Block. The damage to prisoners mental health when they were locked in the darkness of solitary confinement must have done extreme damage to people.
We then explored the rest of the main prison including where the infamous 1962 breakout occurred…
before we headed outside and explored the rest of the island including taking in the great views of the city of San Francisco.
