Alcatraz Island, located in San Francisco Bay, was the site of one of the most infamous prisons in modern history, often referred to as “The Rock.” According to records, no one ever successfully escaped from Alcatraz, although five inmates were listed as “missing and presumed drowned.” The prison closed due to costs in 1963. Today Alcatraz Island is a National Park Service site visited by over a million people per year.

Early Years

Alcatraz Island was discovered and named by Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1759, although there is evidence it may have already been in use for banishment of native tribe members. Its name literally translates to “pelican” or “strange bird.” Gold was discovered in the area in 1848, the same year Mexico ceded California to the United States. The subsequent California Gold Rush demonstrated the need for a military base to protect US interests. Alcatraz Island was chosen due to its strategic location and defensibility, and the military fortress was completed in 1859. During the Civil War, 1861-1865, Alcatraz held spies and Confederate sympathizers. No shots were ever fired from the fortress. After the Civil War, Alcatraz became less necessary as a military base. The Citadel was torn down in 1909 and its foundation used for a new military prison, which was in operation until 1933.

Alcatraz Prison

Prohibition and the Great Depression changed the United States’ strategic needs. Organized crime turned government attention away from outside threats, toward the need to contain highly dangerous criminals within the United States. In 1933, Alcatraz Island was turned over to the Department of Justice to serve as a new kind of prison. Housed inside the old military prison building, Alcatraz Prison was a last stop for the nation’s most notorious criminals. Prisoners were guaranteed shelter, food, medical care and clothing. Everything else, from contact with relatives to recreational activities, had to be earned. Nonetheless, living conditions in Alcatraz were relatively tolerable, with only one prisoner assigned to each cell. The prison was never overcrowded, and prison life followed a highly regimented schedule designed to teach inmates to follow rules.

Notable Inmates

The most notable prisoners in Alcatraz were gangsters including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly, as well as Alaska Gold Rush pimp and murderer Robert Stroud, better known as the Birdman. Frank Lee Morris and the Anglin brothers, John and Clarence, became notorious as the only Alcatraz inmates who may possibly have made a successful escape. Their story was dramatized in the 1979 film “Escape from Alcatraz,” although many experts doubt the escape was a success.


Alcatraz Prison closed in 1963. Although it was rumored the prison closed due to the 1962 disappearance of Morris and the Anglin brothers, the decision had been made before that. Operating expenses were extremely high, as the island produced none of its own resources. Even drinking water had to be shipped in -- nearly a million gallons per week. The island was abandoned following the close of the prison, and in 1969 it was claimed as Native American territory. Local tribes hoped to create a cultural center and educational complex on the island. Although they drew a great deal of support, the small tribal government was overwhelmed by vandals and arsonists and was unable to maintain control. The last Native Americans were removed from the island in 1971.

Alcatraz Today

In 1972, Alcatraz Island became part of the new Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It opened as a monument under the National Park Service in 1973. Daytime visits are largely self-guided, allowing sightseers to walk around both the island and the prison. Guided evening tours focus on the prison and include demonstrations and special activities designed to teach visitors about prison life.

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