Alcatraz Island Prison

One of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions, Alcatraz Island, earned the nickname “The Rock” due to its natural formation, but most people know the structure as the world-famous federal prison that housed hardened criminals such as Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. Most people don’t realize that before the Island became notorious by today’s standards, American Indian tribes lived on the rocky land 20,000 years ago. In 1915 the US Army renamed the military fort that was built on Alcatraz in 1859, calling it the "Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks"—a prison for soldiers undergoing punishment and retraining. In 1934 it became known as the “super-max” institution of the world until Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered the closing of Alcatraz Penitentiary citing increasing maintenance and operational costs in 1963.

In 1969 American Indians from various tribes returned to the Island that their people inhabited 20,000 years ago, considering their stay as an internationally-publicized political protest to focus attention on the plight of American Indians until Federal marshals removed the tribes from Alcatraz in 1971. In 1972 Congress included Alcatraz Island in the establishment of land, turning over 75,000 acres of land and water into the National Park Service. Alcatraz has been open to the public since October, 1973.

Alcatraz Prison is titled as one of the most haunted locations in America. Visitors to the Island, ex-prisoners that once live on the Rock, guards that were employed at Alcatraz and park rangers who currently give tours and answer questions of the public have been interviewed about the ghosts of Alcatraz and their experiences documented. Some of their documented experiences include:

•What sounds like men running on the top floors of the cellblock when no one else was in the vicinity after hours was witnessed by guards over time.

•In a utility corridor where prisoners Coy, Cretzer and Hubbard fell to their deaths after being riddled with bullets when conducted prison escape that failed. Reports of hearing unexplained eerie clanging sounds coming from inside the corridor have been acknowledged. This is supposedly one of the most haunted areas of the prison.

•Screams are heard from the dungeons below in the tunnels as well as from the hospital ward. When this screaming in investigated, no other human is found.

•A certain cell in the Hole ranges from freezing cold to extreme heat within a matter of minutes. The temperature has been documented to remain the same in the surrounding cells and walkway.

•Throughout the prison, what one assumes to be residual energy can be heard in the forms of crying, moaning, screaming, pleading. Certain scents are detected that vanish as quickly as they are noted. Small “spots” of temperate rise and decline quickly when no electrical sources are being used.

•Gun shots are heard on the Island when no one is using a firearm – they are not permitted on the grounds.

•Apparitions of soldiers, prisoners and even prison guards have been witnessed.

•Acoustic music from guitars and banjos has been heard when no music was being played on the Rock.