San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island has shut down and will be closed to visitors for the rest of the week to undergo repairs at its dock, National Park Service officials told SFGATE on Monday morning. The historic landmark and tourist destination is scheduled to reopen by Saturday.
In an email, Joshua Winchell, the park’s chief of communications and special park uses, described the closure as fairly routine. He noted it was a “planned” and “pre-scheduled” endeavor to repair the island’s dock where more than a million people disembark every year, “specifically to repair and inspect the dock pilings.” All tours from Monday through Friday have been canceled, and previously purchased tickets have been refunded, though Winchell was not immediately able to share how many.
An alert about the closure was shared on the park service’s website on Friday, encouraging people to reschedule their tours by calling Alcatraz City Cruises at 415-981-7625. A spokesperson for the tour operator was not able to provide more information by time of publication, but was offering tickets for its alternative Bay Discovery sightseeing cruise, which zips around the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito and Angel Island. Tickets for its Alcatraz tours resume again on Saturday, with most morning slots sold out.
The news caught some out-of-towners by surprise. On Reddit, one user said they learned of the cancellation Monday morning as they were preparing to visit San Francisco for the first time from the United Kingdom, and they weren’t sure if they could reschedule.
Updates on the status of the island’s reopening will be shared on the park’s website, Winchell said.