The ramps leading from the Alcatraz City Cruises vessel to the dock, as well as the dock itself, are accessible.

Once you arrive on Alcatraz Island, you will be asked to listen to a short introductory announcement on the dock. Accessible restroom facilities are available at the dock on Alcatraz Island. To the left please find the accessible tram (S.E.A.T.), which transports visitors with mobility impairments to the Cellhouse. The distance from the Alcatraz Island dock to the Cellhouse, which is located at the top of the Island, is about ¼ (0.4km) of a mile and the elevation change is 130 feet (40 meters). This is roughly equivalent to climbing a 13-story building, but spread out over approximately ¼ of a mile.

If you would like to access Building 64, (the barracks for officers and their families during the Federal Penitentiary years), before getting onto the S.E.A.T. Tram at the dock, you will need to head uphill approximately 100 feet from the dock to the entry ramp. Inside Building 64 is a theater, exhibits and bookstore. The movie shown in the Building 64 theater is a captioned video introduction about Alcatraz history shown every 30 minutes and is compatible with Alcatraz Island Assisted Listening Devices.

There is a fully accessible elevator inside the Cellhouse.

Once inside the Cellhouse, you can request an audio-described or Braille transcript of the audio tour. The award-winning “Doing Time – The Alcatraz Cellhouse Audio Tour” is available in American Sign Language. Please indicate to a Cellhouse staff member that you need the American Sign Language version of the tour and they will provide you with a handheld device. The audio-described tour includes 12 strategically placed tactile markers and a tactile replica of the bar spreader used in one of the famous escape attempts. Large-print and Braille transcriptions of the Cellhouse audio tour and other interpretive materials are available upon request.

There is an accessible restroom facility located adjacent to the Cellhouse.

Due to the Island environment, most of the roadways and walking routes contain extreme slopes. There is an accessible ramp leading into the New Industries Building. The area in front of the Morgue Building contains heavy concrete and several changes in elevation. The route leading from the Cellhouse to the Recreation Yard contains approximately 45 stair steps.

Stationary Ranger programs, provided at least once daily, are marked on the Island’s program board with a wheelchair symbol. Assisted Listening Devices may be used on all ranger-led tours.

There are no wheelchairs available for loan either at Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing or on Alcatraz Island.

For more information about accessibility on Alcatraz Island, visit NPS accessibility. The National Park Service strives to make your experience as accessible as possible at Alcatraz Island and throughout all of America’s National Parks. Please feel free to submit comments and suggestions by calling 415.561.4700.

Individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf/blind or have speech disabilities may utilize the following Federal Relay Service numbers:

• Federal Relay Service – 800.877.8339
• TTY – 415.438.8385
• VCO – 877.877.6280
• Speech to Speech – 877.877.8982
• Spanish – 800.845.6136
• TeleBraille – 866.893.8340

Contact National Park Service:
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Building 201, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123-0022

• National Park Service Accessibility Program Manager – 415.561.4958
• National Park Service Pacific West Region Information Center – 415.561.4700