Alcatraz, Spanish for Pelican was named Isla de los Alcatraces after the birds that were the island’s only inhabitants.
During the Spanish-American War, Alcatraz served as an incarceration facility for war prisoners and as a military fortification in the 1850’s.
Alcatraz became the infamous maximum security prison for people of organised crime and high-risk convicts back in 1934.
Some of the A-list criminals doing time on the island included ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, Al ‘Scarface’ Capone and Robert ‘Birdman’ Stroud.
The island prison, also referred to as ‘the Rock’ was abandoned to the birds in 1963 as security and its upkeep was expensive.
The 12-acre island situated in the centre of San Francisco Bay is today part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and features historic gardens, tide pools, bird colonies and spectacular views of San Francisco city.
Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s top tour attractions with over one million people visiting the island each year.
Visitors can see the haunting prison cells and learn about what life was like behind bars on a 35 minute self-guided audio tour available in six different languages. And for those keen to see Alcatraz at night, special evening tours are also available.
Most of Alcatraz is steep and hilly and there is a lot of walking involved, so it is advised that visitors wear comfortable walking shoes.
The island is only accessible by Alcatraz Cruises, which operate daily from Pier 33 near Fisherman’s Wharf. The first ferry for the island departs at 9am and operates every 30-45 minutes. In summer the island closes at 6.30pm and during the fall, winter and spring months closing time is 4.30pm.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.alcatrazcruises.com for US$24.50 and it is highly recommended that these are pre-purchased as the tours often sell out.