Alcatraz
The Rock may turn your brooding teen around
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Alcatraz is San Francisco’s leading tourist destination. Kids might love seeing where criminals Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly slept. In summer you have to reserve your spot days in advance. Tours ferry you across the bay, and deposit you on the island–which immediately gets you thinking why the city wanted the criminals to get such a lovely view.
Explore the overgrown gardens outside, then trek up the hill to take an audio tour of the cavernous innards. During the tour, you’ll learn of the attempted escapes, most notable inmates (and how they were treated), and what the National Park Service plans to do with the land.
Since you will book your tour early, it’s best to get on a late morning/early afternoon boat, as that is when the fog generally lifts (if it will that day). Bring warm clothes, drinks and snacks.
Muni: Castro Street Shuttle (Pier 33).