Alcatraz: Escape to the island
The first thing visitors to Alcatraz see when the ferry docks on the infamous prison island in San Francisco Bay is the “United States Penitentiary” sign that never came down and “Indians Welcome” hand painted above that sign. They are relics of the island’s two most dramatic eras, and by the time you reboard the ferry to return to San Francisco, you’ll know much more.
Visitors are free to explore any part of the 22-acre island , but you’ll probably spend most of your time inside the three-story concrete cellhouse, America’s main maximum-security prison from 1934 to 1963. You’re given free headphones at the entrance in order to take a free audio tour, which leads you slowly through the prison while a narrator describes what happened inside the walls.
You’ll hear about the Battle of Alcatraz, a standoff that left three inmates and two guards dead in 1946. You’ll learn about a much longer standoff with a peaceful resolution: the 19-month occupation of the island in 1969-1971 by Native Americans that called attention to their cause. But mostly you’ll learn how the likes of Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly lived day to day. You’ll see the cafeteria, exercise yard, library, showers, visitation windows (one visit allowed per month) and the tiny cells—each with only a cot, toilet, faucet, tray table and two shelves. You can also step inside an isolation cell in “The Hole,” where inmates were kept in total darkness for up to 19 days.
Stepping out of the cellblock, you’ll get a taste of what the prisoners never enjoyed: the chance to wander freely around the island. Extensive flower gardens (once tended by guards and now by volunteers) are terraced below the guard tower and 1854 lighthouse. Egrets, night herons and cormorants, with no predators on the island, have turned much of the island into a rookery. Then there are the million-dollar views of the San Francisco skyline and Golden Gate Bridge, which surely played a role in inspiring the escape attempts by 36 prisoners (only five may have succeeded, though they likely drowned).
There is more to see and do on the island, too. Films and exhibit rooms in the old guard barracks trace the island’s history, dominated by its use as a prison since Confederate sympathizers were jailed there during the Civil War. And several free daily tours focused on specific aspects of Alcatraz are led by rangers and volunteers.
The only way to get to Alcatraz, part of the National Park Service’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is to take an Alcatraz Cruises ferry from Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33 on The Embarcadero (at Bay Street). The boat ride is just 10 minutes. Wear walking shoes (there’s lots of climbing) and warm clothes (it’s often foggy or windy), and plan to spend two hours or more on the island.
Because Alcatraz gets 1.3 million annual visitors, boats can fill up to a week ahead, so reservations are recommended. The best time to visit is in the fall. That’s when it’s warmest and when the Agave Trail, closed much of the year as a bird rookery, is usually open. Many locals go to Alcatraz in the fall just to spend the afternoon soaking in the view and the “Indian summer” sunshine. Higher-priced Alcatraz/Angel Island and Alcatraz night tours are also available.
- by Bob Cooper, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro
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Bob CooperBob Cooper is a full-time freelance writer (www.bob-cooper.com) who writes about travel, outdoor sports and health. He is a monthly contributor to Runner's World and has written recent articles for other national magazines such as Continental, Ladies' Home Journal and Inc.
