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Alcatraz History & Other Facts
by Jill Loeffler •
Long before it was a prison, the true history of Alcatraz dates back thousands of years, when this small island stood on its own in the SF Bay. Some of its first inhabitants were Native Americans.
I've been to Alcatraz on countless tours now, and I love learning new things each time. I put together this Alcatraz history timeline of the island's key moments. Read on for more details and stories.
As you can see from the timeline of Alcatraz, documented Alcatraz Island history is relatively recent. That's because, for years, the land was overlooked.
It wasn't until the mid-1850s, when the US government surveyed it, that a plan was devised to use it as a military fort.
Before it was a prison, Alcatraz's location provided the perfect viewpoint to protect the opening of the Golden Gate Straight (where the Golden Gate Bridge currently stands).
People often refer to Alcatraz Island as "The Rock" because it's made entirely of rock. To this day, there is no running water; it’s brought in from SF every morning.Though Alcatraz was built as a military fort, it was soon transformed into a military prison, and that became its main function.
Once the military no longer needed the buildings, they turned the island over to the federal government. The US government decided to make it into a maximum-security prison, which opened in 1933.
Alcatraz Prison Facts: "The Rock"
From 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz housed many famous prisoners—or people who became famous due to their ties with it.
When the prison first opened, the US government asked prison officials from around the country to provide a list of the worst of the worst prisoners in their facilities. These were the first inmates that would be shipped to this prison in San Francisco Bay.
Since it was deemed inescapable, the US government thought it was the perfect place to house the worst convicts in the system.
All of the cells here were single occupancy. The infamous "Rock" was never at capacity; on average, there were around 250 detainees here at any given time.
Here is a photo of one of the small cells that the residents lived in.
Apart from learning Alcatraz history facts, what I love about visiting is hearing all the stories the guards used to tell the inmates to get them to behave—like that there were sharks around Alcatraz Island that would eat them if they tried to swim away.
FUN FACT: Sharks do live in the bay. However, they are smaller sharks that do not attack people swimming in the water. This story was made up to prevent these prisoners from attempting to escape.
Here is another intimidation story the guards used to keep prisoners in line:
- Solitary confinement is located on the far side of the prison. The guards used to take new arrivals down the stairs in cell block A, through the basement, and back up through cell block C to get to solitary confinement.
- The inmates in cell block A would only see people go down. They would never see them come back up, and that was a frightening.
- It left these prisoners thinking that if they misbehaved, they would head down to solitary confinement and never return to any of the main levels again. Since there was a policy of silence in the early days, the scared inmates never learned the truth.
As you learn about Alcatraz prison history on your tour, you will hear about dozens of other techniques used to keep these tough criminals in line during their stay.
Despite the guards' many efforts to intimidate the prisoners, there were 14 escape attempts in all. The two most famous ones were the bloody Battle of Alcatraz and the 1962 attempt by Frank Lee Morris and the Anglin brothers.
>> Discover more details on these escape attempts
The Guards & Their Families
Another fascinating part of the history of Alcatraz is that, even though the prison housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the world, a number of other people also lived on the island.
Many of the guards and their families resided just steps away from the main cells.
There was a schoolhouse as well as other facilities for these families, but since there were no stores, they headed to San Francisco for their weekly shopping trips.
Closure of the Prison
Further down the Alcatraz timeline is the prison closure in 1963. Why was Alcatraz closed?
It closed for a number of reasons, including the costs to house prisoners here, the crumbling buildings, and the later escape attempts in which the escapees were never seen again.
At that point, the remaining prisoners were transferred to the new maximum-security federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois.
American Indian Occupation
Apart from serving as a federal prison, another important part of the history of Alcatraz Island is the American Indian occupation.
While the US government was thinking about a new plan for the island, a group of Native American activists occupied the land three times. They first tried to take it over in 1964, but only stayed for a few hours.
A small group came back in 1969. After eleven days on "The Rock," a full-scale takeover occurred, which lasted for 19 months.
At first, press coverage supported the takeover. They thought it was a great way to raise awareness about Native American issues at the time.
However, support dwindled as the occupation continued. The group was not able to continue to raise money to supply themselves with food and other necessities.
Finally, the US government forcibly removed the protesters in 1971.
The legacy of this time period is still evident on the island today. During their occupation, the Native American occupants burned down a number of prison buildings and defaced a number of others.
One of the interesting facts about Alcatraz is that after federal marshals removed the occupiers, the US government stepped in to tear down some of the buildings they destroyed.
Each year on Thanksgiving and Columbus Day, there is a Sunrise Ceremony for Indigenous Peoples on Alcatraz to commemorate the longest American Indian occupation in the history of the US.
Today
So what is Alcatraz used for now?
In 1972, Alcatraz Island became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which maintains several large parks throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge.
In 1986, it was designated a National Historic Landmark, and to this day it is one of the National Park Service's most visited attractions.
Next to Alcatraz is another larger island called Angel Island, another very interesting historical landmark in the San Francisco Bay.
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
Alcatraz History Books
If you are looking to learn even more about the history of Alcatraz, there are a few great books on the market.
My favorite is Letters from Alcatraz by Michael Esslinger. This book goes way beyond Alcatraz facts to include personal letters from the inmates that illustrate first-hand what life was like in the prison in San Francisco Bay.
Another great book by the same author is Alcatraz: A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years. This one has a broader range of Alcatraz information and is based on years of intensive research. It does a great job of including actual inmate files, retracing escape routes, and explaining the prominent events that took place on "The Rock."
Alcatraz Movies
The list of Alcatraz movies is long, as it is such a unique and oddly picturesque place.
Its reputation as a maximum-security prison drove the public's curiosity, so it almost immediately became a setting for numerous films, starting with "Alcatraz Island" (1937) and then "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962).
Others include "Point Blank" (1967), "The Enforcer" (1974), "Escape from Alcatraz" (1979), "The Rock" (1996), and, most recently, "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006).
Visiting
The best way to learn more about Alcatraz history is to visit. One of the most popular visiting options is the Alcatraz and San Francisco City combined tour.
This six-hour tour includes the ferry ride to and from Alcatraz and the audio walking tour around the island.
It also includes a narrated tour of San Francisco that hits all of the top city attractions, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the Presidio, the Palace of Fine Arts, and more.
Tickets for this tour—and for Alcatraz in general—sell out quickly during the peak travel season in San Francisco (April - October). Make sure you book your tickets at least six weeks in advance to secure your spot on this tour.
>> Learn more about this tour and book your seat today!
Want to learn more about what it's like to visit Alcatraz before booking? If so, then head to the Tours page to find out what to expect from a visit to this popular SF attraction.
More Great Tours to Learn About Alcatraz History
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