This post is all about Alcatraz, the prison on an island near San Francisco. People called it the 'impossible to escape' prison for the island is approx a mile from San Francisco and that mile is sea water and is harder to swim than you think... it's very very cold and full of fatal currents that will drag even the strongest swimmer out to the ocean!
Now then, is Alcatraz good for children? You would think not, after all, it is a prison... but I think it is suitable for children age 6 and above because it is very educational and interesting, especially thanks to the audio tour (Tip: Bring your own headphones to use because the ones provided are very uncomfortable). Alcatraz also has a beautiful side of flowers, birds and fantastic views of SF etc (if you don't want to see the ugly old prison!😜). I found the prison and island both ugly and beautiful.
Alcatraz was a fort before it became a prison: Together with Fort Mason and Lime Point (both fortresses on either side of today's Golden Gate Bridge) it was used to protect San Francisco bay during he gold rush when the population exploded. The army at some point started to use Alcatraz as a military prison and realised that it was a really good use for it (about time!😜).
They made the prisoners build the new prison block which would become their home for a while. From 1934 to 1963 it was brilliant high security prison, housing some of America's worst gangsters (Al Capone etc). It was soon becoming too pricey to be maintained and was shut down. A few years later, Native American Indians occupied it and wanted to make it their own, but didn't succeed (hence the "Indians Welcome" bit on the picture).
Nowadays it is a very big and popular tourist attraction in San Francisco so I guess you could say it's making money instead of losing it now! 🙃
If you were not sure about going to Alcatraz, my advice is: do it!!! You're best to book the tickets well in advance, especially the night tour that can be full for months in advance. The official Alcatraz Cruises from Pier 33 are the only way to do the tour; not cheap, but worth it.
I hope you found the info interesting! 😛