What activities are available at Alcatraz?
The most infamous former maximum-security jail in America is located in San Francisco Bay. The former federal penitentiary, which was decommissioned in 1963, is now a public museum. Alcatraz, a small rocky island in the middle of San Francisco Bay that is best known for housing some of society's most renowned criminals, including Prohibition-era crime leader Al Capone.
Alcatraz tells the stories of imprisonment, justice, and our shared humanity in the United States of America. This little island has served as a fort, a military prison, and a federal maximum-security prison. In the spirit of freedom and Native American civil rights, the Indians of All Tribes seized Alcatraz for 19 months in 1969.
A visit to Alcatraz is a must-do activity. Visitors may get up close and personal with the cells where the inmates were housed, and an audio tour featuring recorded commentary from former inmates and prison guards adds to the fun and knowledge. The view of San Francisco Bay and the city from The Rock is also spectacular, making the visit worthwhile.
There's a lot to see here, aside from the prison and the buildings. The island has been used in a variety of ways throughout its history.
- The Cell House Tour
Listen to former inmates and the correctional officials who guarded them tell you about their experiences at Alcatraz. The Alcatraz Cellhouse is the focus of this award-winning tour. Along the way, you'll hear about prison activities, attempted escapes, and the lives of the men who lived and worked behind these walls.
- Visit the D-Block
It is known as "the Hole" by the inmates as the darkest portion of the institution. Prisoners at D-block had to sleep on a cold, concrete floor, in extremely cramped cells, without windows or lights and were given food every 3 days. You were the most dangerous person on the island if you were put to D-block. D-block was the most secure portion of the prison, and you were constantly monitored throughout the day and night.
Also Read: 10 Best Things About Alcatraz Island
- See the Cells of the Escapees
The Alcatraz escape became famous. Three inmates escaped through the ventilation system and were never found. They just had spoons and had to dig themselves out of the confinement. To buy additional time, they created replicas of their heads out of soap and hair, fooling officials into believing that the convicts were still in their cells, sleeping under blankets. You can learn more about this amazing escape by visiting these famous cells. The cells have been supplied, the holes through which they escaped have been opened, and the heads are still on the bed.
- Discover behind the scenes
Behind-the-Scenes access allows guests to see areas of the institution that were previously unavailable to the public. A knowledgeable guide will tell you stories and show you secret passages, underground jail cells, and a beautiful garden with a breathtaking outlook.
- The Morgue & Native American Occupation Signs
On the island, there is an old morgue from 1910. It was only officially used once when the body of one of the inmates was deposited here for the night. The autopsy table was never used and is now covered in moss. Many characteristics on the island refer to the occupation of Indians after the prison was closed. Among them is the sign "Indians Welcome," but there is also a water tower that has been abandoned since 1963. Because the island lacks its water supply, freshwater must be kept in a water tower in the northwest corner of the island. On this tower is also a sign that reads "home of the free Indian land."
- Explore the Vegetable Gardens
Alcatraz Island was not always a prison island. Following the closure of the prison due to excessive maintenance expenses, the island was dominated by Native Americans who lived independently. They farmed their vegetables, thus there are numerous gardens scattered over the island. We may learn about how Indians lived, what they ate, and how they handled maintaining a self-sufficient way of life thanks to these small fields. Even though the Indians left decades ago, a few of these fields were allocated for ornamental purposes, and those plants still grow there.
- Discover Alcatraz at Night
The Alcatraz Night Tour is a one-of-a-kind tour with only a few hundred guests per evening and special events, tours, and activities that are not available during the day. An Alcatraz night tour is an amazing experience in which you get to see the prison and the island lit by the setting sun silhouetted by the Golden Gate Bridge, with stunning vistas of San Francisco.
- Admire the San Francisco Skyline from “the Rock”
If you're taking a daytime tour, go to Alcatraz around noon rather than in the morning to avoid the morning fog. If you're lucky, the sun will shine brightly and you'll be able to take in the breathtaking sights of San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge and the famed Transamerica Tower are easily visible from the island, and you can see how mountainous and confined San Francisco is.
- Tour the Alcatraz Exhibit
Make sure to check out “The Big Lockup: Mass Incarceration in the U.S.” - the permanent exhibit on the prison island. explores Alcatraz Island as a military prison and federal penitentiary in the context of incarceration in the United States, which has the world's highest incarceration rate at 2.3 million people. The exhibit examines the disproportionate number of persons of race in imprisonment and prison, as well as low literacy and those born into poverty. It examines who is hurt, who suffers the costs, and how we can discourage people from returning to the system. Is there a better way, The Big Lockup asks of ourselves.
Source: Alcatraz Tickets
