Alcatraz

After being used in the Civil War, in the year 1934, Alcatraz changed into a federal penitentiary, a maximum-security prison where prisoners considered irrecoverable and dangerous were taken. Some of the most well-known inmates were Al Capone "Scarface", George "Machine Gun" Kelly, and Robert Stroud "The Birdman of Alcatraz".

The inmates of Alcatraz tried to escape from the prison on fourteen occasions, but the most important attempt occurred in 1962 when Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers managed to flee by water.

In 1963 Alcatraz closed its gates permanently. The seawater had corroded the prison structures and the maintenance costs were excessively rising. The prison stopped being cost-effective and the prisoners were transferred to other penitentiaries.

Prison Break

In 1962, Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin made a hole in each of their cells and left papier mache heads in their beds to avoid detection by the guards.

Although theoretically, they were able to swim to freedom, it's believed that they died in the freezing waters of the Pacific. Their bodies were never found.

We do not know whether it was a coincidence or not, but a year after the escape the most secure prison in the world closed its gates for good.

Visiting Alcatraz

"You have the right to receive food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention. Anything else that you receive is a privilege." Rule number 5 in Alcatraz gives you some idea of life in prison.

The adventure starts at Pier 33 in Embarcadero on Fisherman's Wharf. There you'll take a ferry that will take you to the island in around 15 minutes. Landing on the island is an emotional moment when we consider the number of prisoners who were taken there in the same way, but stayed there permanently.

As soon as you leave the boat you're given a complete guide and are taken to the cellblock area where audio guides are distributed (also available in other languages). Once you have put on the headphones, the visit to the best-known prison of all time begins.

The audio guide includes narrators who were themselves characters in the Alcatraz story. Four of them were prison employees who lived there with their families and four were prison inmates. They go with you at all times telling interesting stories about each cell and room in the prison.

You'll walk through the tiny cells, the canteen, and the library and you will also be able to see the recreation yard (through a small window).

The route will also take you via "Cell Block D" to the punishment cells where prisoners were placed for bad conduct. There they were kept isolated in the cold and darkness until they were driven, in some cases, to madness.

A visit to the Alcatraz prison is not to be missed; it's full of stories that can provoke strong emotions in its visitors.

Alcatraz on the Big Screen

This prison has been selected as a stage for many film successes such as Escape from Alcatraz, The Rock, Birdman of Alcatraz, and Prisoners of Alcatraz.