Welcome To Alcatraz!
This legendary shot of a prison guard at Alcatraz is haunting – a solitary guard watching over some of America’s worst criminals, housed on a “rock” in San Francisco Bay – and guess what – you can see it up close!
Welcome to “The Rock!”
Yes, America’s most notorious prison is open to the public – and is located in one of the most unique place imaginable – on a rock in the middle of San Francisco bay!
Alcatraz is fascinating to me – and the subject of many great films like “Escape From Alcatraz” with Clint Eastwood and “Birdman Of Alcatraz” with Burt Lancaster!
One of the great action films of the 90’s is “The Rock” with Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery, shot on the rock itself!
Now, you can tour the island where the prison is located – and wander through the cellblocks as well!
As we board a ferry to the island, here are some facts to share:
Alcatraz Island is just a mile offshore from the heart of downtown San Francisco, since it is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The island was a military prison in 1868, then it was turned into a federal prison in 1934. After almost thirty years housing some of America’s worst criminals, it was finally closed permanently in 1963.
In 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and was made a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
So, it’s time to head to the island! As you will see from this video, it’s a windy ride across the bay, with the Golden Gate bridge easily visible in the distance!
You will hear that it is VERY WINDY on the ride over, so bundle up!
It’s a truly spectacular trip on a sunny day – if you want to go, you MUST get your tickets online well in advance as it’s always sold out!
Welcome to “The Rock!”
You arrive through an abandoned corridor, but this actually helps with the mystique of the place – and there are a ton of great signs that tell you all about the prison:
The tour is well-organized, and you end up exactly where you want to be: on cellblock row, where the inmates lived!
The best part is they have several still “dressed” as if lived in, and they let you inside a few as well!
Imagine living for 20-30 years in this space! Of course, my wife Alex and I got the obligatory “let me out of here Warden!” shots!
They have other areas open as well, and lots of vintage pictures of life in the prison – and if you feel “locked up”, you can just go outside and look back at San Francisco!
Imagine being housed there for years – and always seeing the city so close, yet so far away! A recent story suggested that the only inmates who escaped from the island might not have drowned, but actually made it to shore!
We’ll never know, as you can see from the video I shared earlier, the water is really rough and since it’s Pacific Ocean water, ice cold as well!
Heading away from the island, you can see the San Francisco skyline, Golden Gate bridge and sailboats in the bay.
It takes 15 minutes by ferry from San Francisco’s Pier 33 – and as I said, you MUST get advance tickets.
Of course, since you are right there, head a few blocks away to pier 39 and see some seals – lots and lots of seals!
You are literally just a few feet away from hundreds of seals – and yes, it smells like it too!
You can see more of my story about the seals here:
https://johnrieber.com/2017/04/15/san-franciscos-famous-sea-lion-hangout-sea-lions-take-over-a-pier/
Let me know if you’ve ever been to Alcatraz!
Categories: Action Films, Books / Media, Cult Movies, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, Movies, Obscure Movies, Talent/Celebrities, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Uncategorized
johnrieber 
Terrific Post with so much information. Now I really want to visit this place. Great clicks specially the ocean in vdo. Super.
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If you want to do Alcatraz tour, you can buy tickets online ahead of time – which you HAVE to do, because they sell out a few weeks ahead…it’s a fun trip on San Francisco Bay with great views of the city and Golden Gate bridge as well, and you can wander through the prison too!
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Sure. I have noted. Thanks John.
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We went over in 1985 and got locked in a cell for a few minutes and that was more than enough.. none of the luxuries of today’s prisons and perhaps if first time offenders were put in there for a couple of months they might rethink their career path! Thanks John for another terrific post.
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Thanks for the comment and I agree, a few days in this kind of place might have you back in vocational school!
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I have yet to visit any places in the US but this would be one of the first on my list! It’s both intriguing and kind of creepy.. There’s so many stories left in the walls there, I can’t imagine any of the former inmates having a lot of good things to say about the prison. Great post!
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I imagine that you’d like this – it is creepy in a sanitized way – just imagine what it would have been like here packed with hardened felons!
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I honestly liked the shots going to and from the island the best. Looks like another fun trip. I felt like I went along. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for your comment Cindy! While extremely windy, it’s also an amazing view of the city, the Golden Gate bridge, and ultimately Alcatraz as well!
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It’s one city I’ve never been to and I’m not sure what I’m waiting for; I know I will love it!
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I love your photos! What an awesome wrap up!
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Thanks! I followed your Facebook page, and I love to share travel adventures as well – although I also share stuff related to movies, music, book and of course food and burgers!
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I’ve always wanted to do a tour of Alcatraz since “So I married an Axe Murderer” ha ha ha!! I would hope to get “Vicky” as my tour guide though! 😉
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Thanks for the trip back in time. Woody and I visited there back before we had digital cameras! And the weather we had seemed very similar to what you experienced. Bright and sunny and oh so very windy. A fascinating place. Your photos are so clear too. Good job.
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Great point about the digital age – now it’s so easy to capture anything and everything with your phone – which is why I over-shoot everything! Thanks for the comment!
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Cool post John! We visited Alcatraz once and there was a former inmate answering questions about the experience. Very interesting. You’d think some would have made a successful escape since it’s so close to San Francisco, but the rough currents and temperature of the water makes it unlikely. I’d like to go see it again. The boat ride alone makes it worthwhile.
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Yes, it’s a great ride, even on a windy day – oh wait, ALL days in San Francisco not he bay are windy!
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I have friends who have visited, and they all say it lives up to what you expect. Those cells must have been very depressing to live in though, especially with open bars giving no privacy at all.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, they are small and airless, imagine the smell in that place! That said, it wasn’t a vacation spot, was it? Now I want to watch all of the Alcatraz films again!
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Totally on my bucket list- which most wouldn’t day about prison!
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It’s a gorgeous trip out into the bay, and on the island you can see all of downtown San Francisco plus the golden gate bridge, and the tour is fun as well! thanks for the comment!
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Great photos, John. I’ve always wanted to go.
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