Also known as The Rock, Alcatraz was
once home to some of America’s most
notorious criminals; including infamous
inmates, like Al “Scarface” Capone and
the “Birdman” Robert Stroud. Locals
may dismiss it as a tourist attraction,
and it most definitely draws crowds from
around the world—upwards of 1.4 million
visitors per year— but Alcatraz is an intriguing
place for locals to visit while
cruising the SF Bay.
Most people know about the criminals
once held on Alcatraz, but the island’s
history before and after the penitentiary
era is less well known. For example, few
realize that it was also the site of the first
American lighthouse on the West Coast
and that the island served as a huge harbor
defense fort during the Civil War.
After the fort became obsolete, the U.S.
Army turned the island into a military
prison. Following the closing of the penitentiary,
Alcatraz became the site of an
18-month American Indian protest movement
and occupation—from November
20, 1969, to June 11, 1971—that would
change modern American history.
Now part of the Golden Gate National
Recreation Area, Alcatraz Island offers
a close-up look at the infamous federal
penitentiary long off-limits to the public.
Rich in history, there is also a natural
beauty to the Rock—native gardens, tide
pools teeming with life, bird colonies, and
bay views beyond compare.
Interpretive walks and guided programs
are offered throughout the day by
National Park Rangers and volunteers.
These programs include conversations
around the Occupation of Alcatraz by
the Indians of All Tribes, cell door demonstrations,
discussions of Alcatraz’s
legacy, and more. For an evocative evening
that offers echoes of the prison’s
past, Alcatraz night tours offer a glimpse
of what it was like to spend chilly nights
locked up in one of the sparse cells. With
fewer people on the island after sundown,
visitors get a greater sense of its
starkness and desolation. n
tury farm since 1985. The farm still
grows the same kind of produce
that was cultivated in the region
in the past 100 years, utilizing agricultural
practices from the 1870s
to the present, demonstrating the
transition from horse-powered to
horsepower farming.
Special events throughout the
year include sheep shearing, a
Fourth of July celebration, a Scottish
fair and an annual Harvest
Festival in October. Through Ardenwood’s
family-friendly educational
programs, guests can observe and
participate in many hands-on activities
common to a turn-of-last-century
farm. Weekdays, naturalists
provide programs for school classes
and other groups by reservation.
Alcatraz
Island
SHUUTERSTOCK (3); TOP RIGHT: ALCATRAZ CRUISES, LLC.
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