Alcatraz day or night?

[scooby99]

Originally Posted by Love*my*hols

Has anyone done the behind the scenes tour?

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Yes, amazing!
Around 20 of you on the tour; you’re the only ones on the ferry over, our ferry went over around 4.30pm in early April.

Met at the dock by 2 rangers for our 2 hour ‘private’ tour making our way from the bottom of the island all the way to the top, crossing behind the barriers into places that others aren’t allowed into; cinema, officers areas, chapel, laundry, kitchens, workrooms, underground tunnels, prisoners gardens etc.

At the end of the 2 hours, we reached the cell block at the top of the island.
Most importantly, day visitors were now all gone as their allocated ferries had departed but the night tour visitors had not yet arrived either; just our small group in the cell block for 30 minutes or so, led behind more barriers & underground to the ‘pit’ (cells in constant complete darkness where the worst prisoners were held below sea level with wet running walls & which the prison, whilst open, denied existed), a demo of the cell doors all sliding open & then slamming shut just for our group; wonderful to have that experience with no crowds.
Then the night tour crowds arrived, our rangers departed & you do the night tour with everyone else; another 2 hours or so.

Behind the scenes tour is around 4.5-5 hours; very limited numbers on limited days so sells out quickly; the difference between being in & experiencing some of those areas with just 20 people vs 200 people is worth every penny.
Wonderful to arrive in daylight & leave in complete darkness.

[Vinniecat]

We did the night one and got the second to the last ferry back. We loved it. The only downside was we were very tired as we hadn't quite adjusted to the time difference. I would have liked to have stayed for the last boat. If I were to do it again I would do the night tour again but eat before I went so I could go straight back to the hotel after.

[lynne6705]

We loved the night tour, just make sure you wrap up as we were freezing coming back on the boat (August)

[megaflyer]

Have done both, I ordered the day. Saw more and had free reign to walk about both the prison and island plus the ferry back in daylight was a better experience for me but the friend I went with preferred the night as he found it more atmospheric and as we had seen all the places and walked round the rock in daylight before he didn’t feel he missed out .

I would say 2 totally different experiences and glad I have done both

[Hooray4Disney]

We booked the night tour, boys were 18 and 16. Haven’t done the day so cannot offer comparison.

However, we all absolutely loved the night tour and as others have said, it was very atmospheric and compelling, to listen to every part of the audio tour. Has The fog came down and it gave a small insight to how it must of felt for the prisoners. It was absolutely freezing cold in August and we had to buy additional jumpers and jackets that helped a little.

[megaflyer]

Originally Posted by Hooray4Disney

We booked the night tour, boys were 18 and 16. Haven’t done the day so cannot offer comparison.

However, we all absolutely loved the night tour and as others have said, it was very atmospheric and compelling, to listen to every part of the audio tour. Has The fog came down and it gave a small insight to how it must of felt for the prisoners. It was absolutely freezing cold in August and we had to buy additional jumpers and jackets that helped a little.

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I did the day tour in August and it was freezing cold too - that damp cold and that morning had to pop to Macy to buy a winter coat and gloves

As Mark Twain said “The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in SAN Francisco”

[Hooray4Disney]

Originally Posted by megaflyer

I did the day tour in August and it was freezing cold too - that damp cold and that morning had to pop to Macy to buy a winter coat and gloves

As Mark Twain said “The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in SAN Francisco”

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I agree, it was so cold. Actually put me off going back tbh.
Bizarre that you go across the bridge to Muir Woods and it was 85-90 degrees with full sunshine for the day!