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| Yes, Alcatraz has its touristy side, but in reality, the history behind this former Federal penitentiary provides the real fascination for the visitor. There was plenty of informational displays available for people to view and ponder prior to boarding the ferry. |
I never had visited the island in the three decades of living in the area, and perhaps the mentality of "that's only where the tourists go" played into why I never did. My spouse and I do a good job of trying to limit these types of attractions on our visits, but we've been to the area together enough to start putting these places into our rotation. On this trip back to California, we figured it was time to make our first visit to the island.
Like our trip to Mackinac Island in the middle of 2014, pictures really are the best way to tell the tale of our visit on a slightly windy otherwise sunny late-December day:
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| Approaching the island on the ferry. All visitors to Alcatraz must use the ferry service owned & operated by Hornblower Cruises. These hybrid ferries (which uses power from various energy sources) make regular runs to and from the island and proved to be a relaxing and comfortable means of transport. |
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| Some of the beautiful views outside the penitentiary, including one of the gardens and the lighthouse installation. The park rangers explained the trek from the ferry landing to the top of the island where the penitentiary stood was equivalent to a 13-story climb; a shuttle to the top was available for those with either health or mobility issues. |
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| One of the old cannon batteries on the island. The island was first designated by the U.S. Government for military use shortly after California statehood and the Gold Rush in 1850. Alcatraz, along with Fort Point and Fort Baker, formed the defense for a possible San Francisco Bay invasion. Alcatraz's guns were never fired in battle, and the facility turned into a military prison prior to takeover by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. |
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| The old penitentiary looked forbidding from the start, from the prominent "United States Penitentiary" sign as you get off the ferry boat, to the tiny shed-like building that served as the facility's morgue (bottom left), and the shower facilities (upper two pictures.) The shower facilities were were where visitors received their Cellhouse Audio Tour headsets which are included in the ticket price to come to the park. |
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| The audio tour, narrated by former guards and prisoners at Alcatraz, summarized the details and stories of the prison well. Walkways were were named (e.g. "Michigan Avenue"), new inmates were given "Rules & Regulations" books upon admission, and sparse furnishings and iron bars were commonplace. "D Block" was reserved for the worst of the worst. |
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| A look at the second floor's "Gun Gallery", where armed guards would patrol the prison from the walkways in the gallery. Keys that were needed to open a door were lowered to guards below via the device on the lower half of the grate. |
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| Informational displays were found throughout the facility; we found they helped supplement the already detailed audio narration to great effect. |
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| Inside the prison's control/dispatch room: the space reminded me a bit of the broadcast booth of the radio station I spun records at during college, sans any turntables or record albums. |
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| Looking at the cell blocks A through C from the corner of "Seedy" Street (a nickname for the main walkway between C and D cell blocks) |
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| The cell that held Robert Stroud, the famed "Birdman of Alcatraz." Indeed, Stroud was allowed to keep and study birds in jail, and ended up making some significant contributions to the field of avian science. However, this took place during his time at Leavenworth Prison. After Stroud's transfer to Alcatraz (caused when prison officials caught him distilling alcohol in his cell), he was relegated to the hospital ward, where he spent his time writing an autobiography and a manuscript detailing the history of Federal prisons. |
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| Multi-media art installations by famed Chinese activist Ai Weiwei were found throughout the island. Titled "@Large", Weiwei's artworks "explore urgent questions about human rights and freedom of expression and responds to the potent and layered history of Alcatraz as a place place of detainment and protest," as described on the National Parks Service's webpage detailing these exhibits. Activities exhibit visitors could partake in included sending postcards of support to imprisoned activists and listen to various musical works inside a prison cell. |
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| This message on the island's water tower hints at Alcatraz Island's past as a center of protest for American Indian rights, climaxing with the nearly 19-month occupation of the island by rights protesters from 1969 to 1971. This spurred other actions that helped bring Indian rights more to the forefront in the public conscience and the U.S. Government, and led to the annual "Unthanksgiving Day", a morning gathering on Thanksgiving Day on the island to honor the indigenous people of America. |
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| A view of the penitentiary's recreation yard, which was made available to prisoners on weekends and holidays. Games of baseball and basketball were commonplace in the yard; rights to use the yard were among the first things to disappear for disruptive inmates. |
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| Just some more of the dark spaces, passageways and crevices found at this penitentiary. The facility was closed in 1963 mainly due to the extremely high maintenance and operational costs. The island's structures fell into neglect and disrepair for the next decade until the property was transferred to the National Park Service in 1972. |
Alcatraz Island National Historic Landmark
(part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area)
Open for regular visits all year except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
National Park Service Website Page
Ferry service/park admission available through:
Alcatraz Cruises
Pier 33, Alcatraz Landing
San Francisco, California 94111
(415) 981-ROCK (7625)
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