Alcatraz Tours Abruptly Halted; Visitors Refunded

Alcatraz Island shut down public access on Monday, April 20, after officials closed the dock and canceled ferry arrivals. (nps.gov) The National Park Service said the island will stay closed through Friday, April 24, for dock repairs. Its parkwide alert says all scheduled tours during that period have been refunded. (nps.gov) Alcatraz City Cruises, the National Park Service concessioner, handles all ferry access to the island from Pier 33. The park tells visitors who want a new date to call the operator directly to reschedule. (nps.gov) That closure hits one of San Francisco’s busiest visitor attractions in the middle of the spring travel season. The park says Alcatraz is normally open year-round, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. (nps.gov) The disruption also cuts off the only regular public route to the island. The park says visitors reach Alcatraz only by private ferry under contract with the National Park Service, not by independent public transit. (nps.gov) Before the shutdown, Alcatraz City Cruises was running daytime departures every day, starting at 8:40 a.m. and continuing into the afternoon, with separate evening sailings for night and behind-the-scenes tours. (cityexperiences.com) Alcatraz is now a National Park Service site known both for the former federal prison and for the 1969-71 occupation by Indians of All Tribes. The park describes the island as a place that tells stories about incarceration, justice, and Native American civil rights. (nps.gov) For now, the practical message to ticketholders is simple: no landings, no tours, and refunds are already being processed while crews work on the dock through April 24. (nps.gov)