Alcatraz: From Infamous Prison to Must-Visit Tourist Attraction in San Francisco
The old prison on Alcatraz, which was a nightmare for the people who lived there, is now one of San Francisco’s attractions. The movie Escape from Alcatraz made Clint Eastwood and the island famous. The island hasn’t been a prison since 1963 and is now a place where people go on tours.
One of the most popular places to visit in San Francisco is Alcatraz. You have to go to this island, either because of the legends that surround it or because of the story that doesn’t end well. So much so that thousands of people book tours of the fortress every year.
Because there is so much demand, you have to book well in advance, or you might have to stay on the ground. Alcatraz is in San Francisco Bay, not far from Fisherman’s Wharf. It is only 2 kilometers from the mainland.
The island used to have the first lighthouse built on the Pacific Coast. Later, it became more famous (and infamous) for the maximum-security prison that was there until 1963. Al “Scarface” Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly are two of the most famous “guests” who have been there. The island is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
History
The real, non-fictional story of Alcatraz is very different from what people know from the movies. Locals call it “The Rock,” but it also has many other names. Before it became a resort for criminals, it used to be a military prison.
The penitentiary
When people go to the island, they can also take a tour of the cells and see where the prisoners lived and spent their sad days.
Even though the last prisoner was sent back to his home country in 1963, the prison is still in good shape. The central building, the iron bars, the cramped cells (about 3 x 1 meters), the canteen, the library, and the “black holes” where the hardest-to-control prisoners were locked up in the dark to “reflect” are all still there. For prisoners, working in prison was a chance to get out of their cells and do something to keep their minds busy.
Escape attempts
In the 29 years that the Alcatraz maximum security prison was open, only 36 inmates tried to escape 26 times. Everyone knew that it was almost impossible to get out of the Rock, even though it was close to San Francisco. However, some brave people tried to escape anyway, even though the overhanging rocks and the cold sea made it almost certain that they would die.
The only ones who were successful were Theodore Cole and Ralph Cole, who broke through the bars of a prison window in 1937 and swam to San Francisco. No one ever heard from them again. Frank Morris and the brothers John and Clarence Anglin, who got out of their cells through the ventilation system (they dug a tunnel to get there with the spoons that were given to each prisoner) in 1962. They were also never heard from again.
In the popular movie Escape from Alcatraz, this escape was filmed, studied, made up, and shown to the public. The prisoners’ other attempts to get away failed, and in the end, they all died.
Visiting the Rock
A huge number of companies offer day trips to Alcatraz. But Alcatraz Cruises is the official one and the one that most people use. The first ferry leaves from Pier 33 in the Fisherman’s Wharf area at 9:30 a.m. and leaves every 30 minutes until the last ferry leaves at 6:30 p.m.
Because there are so many people who want to go, it’s best to plan your trip well in advance. Once you get to the island, you are completely on your own. You can walk around on your own and explore it however you want, even inside.
In fact, there aren’t any tours with a guide. Before you go into the prison, you can rent headphones for an in-depth audio tour that tells you about the history, people, and legends of the place. Each person will have to pay $30 for the tour.
Curiosity
The tour of the prison cells is explained and told directly by those who have lived there in the penitentiary, from the guard officers to the inmates themselves.
