Styln, from all these yays and nays its not helping you any, you'll never know unless you do go, then gather your own opinion. As for the nays remember, "There are some people who knock the pyramids because they don't have elevators."

Yep.
If you don't like a boat ride out to the island with 360 degree views of SF, SF Bay area, GGate and Bay Bridges, along with all the hustle bustle of major ports and recreational boating and the general history of The Rock, then maybe it's not for you?

We waited almost 30yrs to go (no-the line wasn't THAT long!) and wondered why we waited so long.
" :)>- for Alcatraz, pleez"

14VK-The Grand Canyon is very old but it's still a big crack! 8-}

Just visited Alcatraz yesterday and really enjoyed it. We bought tickets online about a month ago http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/abcsc.htm#webtix - including the audio tour. We rented Escape from Alcatraz last week and watched it before we went.

Just to keep things even....

If you have any interest in history at all, you should go. It's a real place, it held real prisoners.

I don't think it's necessary to go more than once or twice (twice is when you take one of the alternative tours that takes you to where the prison guards lived).

You do get beautiful views from the boat most of the time.

I went prepared to be bored, but found it fascinating. The audio tour is very well-produced, featuring the voices of former inmates and guards (who also lived on the island, with their families--there was a school for the kiddies and everything). It was way better than I expected, rich in atmosphere and information, and authenticity--this is no chintzy tourist trap. The boat ride was just the cherry on top. (I mean, sure, the boat ride won't be as spectacular if it's foggy, but...duh!)I say, go at least once.

We made the mistake of going the weekend when some fraternity pranksters from San Francisco State dressed up in period costumes as prison guards and administered nightstick beatings on the hapless "prisoners" as they disembarked from the Blue and Gold Fleet boat. Man, were we sore, especially after we learned it wasn't typically part of the tour.