Alcatraz Then and Now: My View 42 Years Later
I first saw Alcatraz as a child in 1983. Forty-two years later, I saw the island again from San Francisco Bay—and one old photograph suddenly felt much more important.
What Changed Between My Two Views of Alcatraz?
The island was familiar. I was the part that had changed.
My first experience with Alcatraz came in 1983 during a childhood trip to San Francisco.
I remember crossing the bay on a small ferry and watching the island grow larger as we approached.
At that age, Alcatraz felt mysterious and enormous—a place I knew more through stories than through an understanding of its history.
I photographed the island from the water without thinking that the image would still matter to me more than four decades later.
Important distinction: I visited Alcatraz Island in 1983. In 2025, I saw it again from a cruise ship in San Francisco Bay but did not go ashore. This article combines those two firsthand perspectives rather than presenting my childhood visit as a guide to the current island experience.
Alcatraz Across 42 Years
What I Remember About Alcatraz in 1983
My strongest memory begins with the ferry.
I remember being near the water and looking up as Alcatraz became larger in front of us.
As a child, I was not thinking about prison architecture, National Park history or historical interpretation.
I was simply fascinated by the place itself.
There was something about approaching an island prison by boat that felt completely different from any attraction I had visited before.
The photograph I made that day captures more than the island.
It captures the viewpoint of the child who took it.
What Was It Like Seeing Alcatraz Again in 2025?
The island was instantly recognizable, but the view felt completely different.
In 2025, my cruise ship sailed past Alcatraz as we moved through San Francisco Bay.
I was no longer on a little ferry looking up toward the island.
I was standing much higher above the water, looking across at a place connected to a childhood memory.
For a few moments, the 42 years between those two experiences felt surprisingly small.
The prison buildings, water tower and shape of the island were familiar enough to bring the old trip back immediately.
But I was seeing all of it through a very different lens.
What Changed Most Was the Photographer
In 1983
I photographed what caught my attention. I was not consciously thinking about composition, historic preservation or documenting change.
In 2025
I immediately started comparing what I was seeing with the photograph I had taken as a child.
Today
The old photograph feels less like a vacation snapshot and more like a piece of my own travel history.
Why I Want to Return to Alcatraz
I want to return with the 1983 photograph and deliberately look for the same viewpoint again.
Seeing Alcatraz from the cruise ship made me curious about what it would feel like to actually step onto the island again.
I would approach it very differently today.
I would pay more attention to the architecture, the historical interpretation and the visual relationship between the island and San Francisco Bay.
And I would bring the original photograph.
There is something compelling about standing in the same place decades later and trying to recreate an old image as closely as possible.
Same island.
Same bay.
Different photographer.
What Should You Know Before Visiting Alcatraz?
Visit the National Park Service Alcatraz page →
Check current ferry schedules and tickets through Alcatraz City Cruises →
Other Places From That Childhood Trip
Alcatraz is not the only San Francisco memory from 1983 that has stayed with me.
An old photograph from the top of Lombard Street has become another then-and-now project I want to recreate.
You can read that story in The View I Want to Find Again.
I also photographed a giant decorative dragon in San Francisco’s Chinatown that I am still trying to identify. That mystery is documented in my San Francisco Chinatown Dragon from 1983 story.
And for practical planning today, my San Francisco Cable Car Guide covers routes, fares and first-timer tips.
Alcatraz Then and Now FAQ
Did you visit Alcatraz in both 1983 and 2025?
No. I visited and went ashore on Alcatraz in 1983. In 2025, I saw the island again from a cruise ship in San Francisco Bay but did not revisit the island.
Why did seeing Alcatraz again matter so much?
The 2025 view connected directly with a photograph I had taken as a child. Seeing the island again made the old image feel less like a simple vacation snapshot and more like a record of my own travel history.
Do you plan to return to Alcatraz?
Yes. I would like to return with my 1983 photograph and try to find and recreate the original viewpoint.
Where do current Alcatraz ferries depart?
Official Alcatraz ferries depart from Pier 33 on The Embarcadero in San Francisco.
Should Alcatraz tickets be booked in advance?
Yes. Advance reservations are strongly recommended because popular dates and tour times can sell out.
Some Travel Photographs Gain Meaning With Time
I did not know in 1983 that one ordinary vacation photograph would still be asking me to return 42 years later.
That is one of the things I love most about photography.
A picture can document a place in a fraction of a second, then quietly wait decades before revealing why it mattered.
My next Alcatraz photograph may be more deliberate than the first.
But the 1983 image will always be the one that started the story.
About Angela
Angela Addington is the travel photographer and writer behind Lenses & Latitudes. She shares firsthand destination guidance and practical photography advice for independent and solo travelers, women over 50, road-trippers and weekend explorers. Learn more about Angela.
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