A visit to Alcatraz

Today I walked through History…
Arriving at pier 33 at 8.40am you are met with the sight of many other tourists all keen to get underway to the state penitentiary where the most high profile prisoners were sent - weird how that in the space of just a few generations the island has gone from being a military fort to a high security prison to its current use as a national park reserve and tourist attraction.

The tour is a MUST DO if you are in San Francisco and there is only ONE tour company that allows you to go onto the island - ignore the others, which just circle the island and return… The boat takes just 20mins to take you the mile and a half across to the island and deposits us on the wet dock outside the accommodation blocks for guards and their families… Yes its raining again - Heavily 0_0 Still we are ushered inside for a welcome video [15mins] before being released to walk up to the cell block and audio tour at the showers [openly set up with just trays and shower heads with soap in baskets - no privacy as guards watched you all the time to stop assaults/beatings].

While walking up to the Cell block you are struck by the dilapidated condition of the concrete - it has not bourn the years well with steel poking through the eroded concrete in many places while some of the guard blocks outside are nothing more than rubble colonised by sea gulls… Inside the cell block we are provided with an Audio Guide (the best Audio Guided tour that I have ever experienced recited by both guards and prisoners: AWESOME).

Following the guidance provided by the audio guide I am ushered from room to room and from cell to cell. I am standing in the infamous ‘Alcatraz’ right outside the cells of some of the most notorious men in history - Al Capone is just one of the high profile examples provided on the tour. Looking into the cells you can see how life must have been for the prisoners - the cells are 9’ by 7’ by 5’ with one man to a cell and nothing but a couple of shelves, a bed and a toilet to keep you company… The audio guide fills in the missing pieces with real life stories from the inmates and guards [at one point you will be given a demonstration of how the doors operated by a park ranger: make sure that you wait to see this as it takes some effort to close them!!] - the cell block is the most atmospheric location on the tour particularly when moving into ‘D block’, the prison within a prison - it housed the famous ‘birdman’ among others whose behaviour was contrary to that demanded of prisoners - they were larger cells but in a colder part of the jail BUT when incarcerated here you were in the cell 24hrs a day [instead of the 16 in the main block!!] - and to top it all I get to step into one of the isolation cells - these not only have bars but also a solid iron door which shuts out all the light leaving you completely in blackness (close your eyes - then cover them with your hand - this is how dark it was in the cells) a terrible situation to place a person and you feel immediately uncomfortable even standing in the cell with no risk of it closing!! The only thing in the cell except you is a hole in the floor which is you toilet 0_0 Some guys spent up to 14 days in here!! Almost unimaginable.
Think about it for a moment: If you were in a pitch black isolation cell for a few days what would you do to pass the time and keep sane?

Now I am sure that we have all seen the films on Alcatraz and I particularly remember Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. This is vividly brought back to me with a walk around the exercise yard with its steps where prisoners would sit depending on their status [on the highest steps you can see the Golden Gate bridge]. Wonderful to be able to sit on that top step and look out - but for a prisoner it must have been torture to see the bridge just a mile or so off but unreachable…
The tour continues with detailed accounts of prisoners and their actions including a prison riot which led to the prisons bloodiest day and several escape attempts [all failures]. At times this can be graphic in its description but it all adds to the atmosphere and brings history to life. Truly a highlight of the trip to San Francisco.

It take me over three hours to complete the tour and walk around the open parts of the island - it is well worth the entry fee but remember - You have to BOOK AHEAD if you want to go on a particular day and try and get tickets for the 9am [first of the day] visit - this will make you one of the first onto the island and it will avoid the major crowds… Believe me by the time I left the whole island was heaving with people - just imagine another 250 people being dropped off every 30mins!!!!
Did you know: That the prison officers and their families lived on the island in specially appointed housing units with communal gardens?


One piece of advise (as if I haven’t stated it enough already) - When in San Francisco: VISIT ALCATRAZ and walk through HISTORY. Brilliant :)