SAN FRANCISCO — Alcatraz Island is scheduled to close to visitors beginning Oct. 26 while crews replace two pilings that secure the ferry dock to the island, the National Park Service says.
Repairs are expected to continue through Nov. 18, but NPS says weather and other factors could change the timetable. The practical consequence is that ordinary island tours cannot operate while Alcatraz is closed.
Which Alcatraz dates are affected?
NPS says the temporary closure is scheduled to begin Oct. 26, 2026, with the dock work expected to be completed by Nov. 18, 2026.
Those are planned dates rather than a guarantee that conditions will allow the project to finish on the exact final day. Anyone booking around the reopening should check the current NPS and ferry-provider status before traveling.
What happens if you already have Alcatraz tickets?
NPS says visitors with reservations affected by the closure will be notified and offered a refund. The agency also says guests may be offered the option to reschedule an island tour or book a selected San Francisco Bay Discovery Cruise instead.
If you already have a reservation between Oct. 26 and Nov. 18, watch the contact information attached to that booking for instructions from the authorized ferry provider.
Can you reschedule instead of taking a refund?
Yes, according to the NPS announcement. Rescheduling an Alcatraz Island tour is one of the options identified for affected guests.
Alcatraz City Cruises also publishes a general reservation policy allowing qualifying reservations to be modified or cancelled up to 72 hours before departure for a full refund. The closure-specific notice from NPS is the more relevant policy for bookings directly affected by these dates.
Does the Bay Discovery Cruise still take you onto Alcatraz?
No. A Bay Discovery Cruise is an alternative sightseeing cruise and does not dock on Alcatraz Island. Travelers who specifically want to walk the island or visit the Cellhouse should reschedule for a date when island access is available.
Why is Alcatraz closing?
NPS says crews need to replace two remaining pilings that secure the ferry dock. The work is described as the final phase of a dock-repair project that also involved work earlier in 2026.
According to the agency, replacing the dock-support system is intended to provide roughly 20 to 30 years of useful life. Closing the island allows the remaining work to be completed at the ferry landing used by visitors.
Could the Nov. 18 reopening date move?
Yes. NPS says the repair schedule is subject to weather and other factors. For that reason, Nov. 18 should be treated as the expected completion date rather than an unconditional reopening promise.
The closure comes two weeks after the Oct. 12 Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Gathering, which is a separate special-access event.