Welcome to Valkatraz: Golden State Valkyries, Golden State Warriors visit the island

Why were WNBA and NBA players snapping photos around Alcatraz Island recently? They were getting a taste of an Alcatraz experience you can have, too.  

The Parks Conservancy’s new Alcatraz Custom Tours offer a VIP way to experience one of the Bay Area’s most iconic places, with a tour tailored to your group, behind-the-scenes access and a deeper look at the complex and surprising stories that make the island unforgettable.  

Just ask the Golden State Valkyries. In August, veteran guard Tiffany "Tip" Hayes, a WNBA All-Star and 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year, finally got her wish to bring her teammates to Alcatraz after talking about it for more than a year. Joined by the Parks Conservancy and Alcatraz City Cruises, the team explored the island, took in the views and shared the experience on social media as "Welcome to Valkatraz."

Then "Valkatraz" took on a life of its own. Just days later, the nickname started showing up in media coverage as a fitting description of the Valkyries’ lockdown defense, connecting one of the Bay Area’s most iconic places with one of its most exciting teams.  

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to get the VIP treatment. Whether you’re planning a special gathering, hosting a group or simply looking for a completely different way to experience the Bay, we can help create an Alcatraz visit just for you.  

See what your Alcatraz Custom Tour could look like. 

A bay area basketball player smiles while pretending to operate the helm of an Alcatraz City Cruises ferry, with others observing and capturing the moment from behind.
Golden State Valkyries players have fun at the helm of the Alcatraz ferry.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Bay area basketball players on a Alcatraz City Cruises ferry deck enjoy a sunny day, with one person balancing a purple and black ball on their finger while others laugh and look on.
Golden State Valkyries players having fun on their way to Alcatraz Island.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Five Golden State Valkyries players pose in front of the Alcatraz Island sign at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Golden State Valkyries players pose for a photo at the Alcatraz Island sign.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A group of people stands on a dock near a ferry, with one person pointing upward toward the sky.
The Golden State Valkyries meet their Alcatraz Custom Tour guide.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A group of people from the san francisco bay area WNBA team Golden State Valkyries ascend a weathered stone staircase beside a historic building, while a seagull perches on the wall.
Golden State Valkyries make their way to Alcatraz Historic Gardens.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Golden State Valkyries players with their Alcatraz Custom Tour guide standing in a vibrant garden, engaged in conversation near colorful flowers and a weathered stone wall.
The Golden State Valkyries tour Alcatraz Historic Gardens.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Five individuals from the Golden State Valkyries team pose together behind a vibrant bed of pink and white roses, with a scenic coastal backdrop featuring water and distant hills under a partly cloudy sky.
Golden State Valkyries players take a group photo at Alcatraz Historic Gardens.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Three individuals stand in a long corridor lined with barred cells, observing their surroundings as a parks conservancy Alcatraz tour guide gestures nearby.
Golden State Valkyries and their Alcatraz Custom Tour guide in the cellhouse.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A group of five individuals wearing hard hats pose cheerfully in a narrow, whitewashed brick corridor with an illuminated exit sign.
The Golden State Valkyries pose for a photo in the Citadel during their custom Alcatraz tour.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Five individuals pose together on a paved path near Alcatraz Lighthouse, with the San Francisco skyline visible across the bay.
Players from The Golden State Valkyries take a group photo from Alcatraz Island.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Four individuals take a selfie together on a boat, smiling with a waterfront and distant city skyline in the background.
One last selfie for the Golden State Valkyries after a visit to Alcatraz Island.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Five young people smile together on a boat with a San Francisco city skyline in the background.
Golden State Valkyries players get a group photo with the San Francisco skyline.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A person with red hair in a bun, wearing a dark jacket with a WNBA logo, stands by the water facing a city skyline.
WNBA Golden State Valkyries player takes in the view from the Alcatraz City Cruises ferry.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A group of players from the NBA's Golden State Warriors, including one smiling individual in a hoodie, ascend a stairway with a stone railing, lush green ivy behind them.
Golden State Warriors players make their way to the Alcatraz Historic Gardens.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Players from the Golden State Warriors navigate a narrow staircase inside an old prison, with barred cells visible on either side.
Golden State Warriors head to down into the Citadel beneath the Alcatraz Cellhouse as part of their custom tour.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A guide wearing a headset and a Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy vest gestures while speaking to a group during a tour.
An Alcatraz Custom Tour guide describes the Citadel at Alcatraz –the Civil-War era fortress that existed before it was converted into a prison.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A group of players from the Golden State Warriors stand in a narrow, barred corridor on Alcatraz Island, with one person looking directly at the camera.
Golden State Warriors players on their custom tour of Alcatraz Island.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A Alcatraz Custom Tour guide stands before a group from the Golden State Warriors, holding up a printed document while speaking into a headset microphone in a room with wooden furnishings.
The Golden State Warriors receive a unique history lesson in this behind-the-scenes segment of their Alcatraz Custom Tour.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

A player from the Golden State Warriors in a black hoodie balances a yellow and blue volleyball on their finger while smiling, with others nearby and a San Francisco city skyline in the background.
Basketball prowess on display with the Golden State Warriors on Alcatraz.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

© 2026 Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. All rights reserved.