The Alcatraz In San Fransisco Bay

San Francisco is a recommended travel destination. The city is full of activities and interesting spots that will like. One of the most popular tourist attractions in the Bay Area is an Alcatraz tour. Come and experience the beauty, history and infamy of Alcatraz.

Located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay area in California, the 12 acre Island used to be home to some of America’s most notorious criminals. From 1934-1963 the federal penitentiary operated on this island. Alcatraz was the United States first maximum-security, minimum-privilege prison. The island was virtually an escape-proof environment. The men that were sent here knew Alcatraz was the last resort.

Within the confines of Alcatraz, history was made. Al “Scarface” Capone, a New York gangster was indicted and convicted for income tax evasion. In 1934 Capone was sent to Alcatraz.

George “Machine Gun” Kelly Barnes was also transferred to Alcatraz in 1934. He received a life sentence for kidnapping, bootlegging and armed robbery.

During the operation years, 36 prisoners tried to escape. Twenty-three inmates were caught, six men were shot and killed and two drowned. The last 5 convicts disappeared and were never found. In 1963, Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered the penitentiary to be closed due to increased operational and maintenance costs. By this time Alcatraz had already housed 1033 prisoners. In 1972, it became a historic site.

Today, Alcatraz island is a busy tourist site because of the old empty prison and the oldest operating lighthouse is located here. The island offers two types of tours, a day and night tour. The night tour cost a bit more but there are also extra activities available. The tours begins with a 15 minute ferry ride to the island. The first stop is the cell audio guide. The audio tour includes actual interviews with former guards and inmates. Once the audio tour is concluded, visitors are free to roam around the island as long as they desire. People can wander into the cell blocks and some of the cells.

There has been many movies filmed on the island such as, “Escape From Alcatraz” (1979) and Star Wars: Episode V. (1980). Some newer movies such as, “The Rock”(1996) and “Murder in the First” were also film on location.

The History Of Alcatraz

Alcatraz is an old prison, which was used as a federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963, a total of 29 years. It is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California and when it was opened to the public from 1972, it has become a very famous historic and tourist site. The National Park Service, as a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, now maintains the abandoned prison.

Alcatraz Island was also the first long-term Army prison. During the 1800s, Civil War and Spanish American War Prisoners were the first inmates to arrive on the Island. Later on, due to its isolated location and the freezing San Francisco Bay waters, the authorities considered Alcatraz as an ideal place for holding dangerous prisoners.

Initially, Alcatraz was just another Federal institution but the prison started gaining fame after it began housing notorious criminals like George “”Machine Gun”" Kelly, Robert Franklin Stroud, Alvin Karpis, Henry Young and Al Capone. Criminals who could not be controlled by other Federal institutions were also incarcerated here.

The average number of inmates in Alcatraz was around 260 and approximately 1545 total men imprisoned here during the 29 years of its operation. There were escape attempts but there is no official record if any of them had been successful. A few prisoners disappeared but were all presumed drowned in the San Francisco Bay waters.

After the prison was closed down in 1963, some Native Indians from 1969 to 1971 occupied it. Alcatraz is now a National Historic Landmark, opened to tours. Visitors to this place can also explore the oldest lighthouse in the west coast, remnants of early military fortifications and natural features such as rock pools.

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