Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay held one of the earliest U.S. military fortifications on the West Coast and, from 1934 to 1963, the federal government's most secure and notorious penitentiary. Its cold, isolating waters and reputation for escape-proof security made it a fixture of American popular culture.

The island later became the site of a 19-month occupation by Native American activists (1969–1971) that drew national attention to Indigenous rights. Today Alcatraz is one of the most visited National Park Service sites, reachable only by ferry.

The U.S. Army built a fort and lighthouse on Alcatraz in the 1850s, taking advantage of the island's isolation and commanding position at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. The military later used it as a prison, first for Confederate sympathizers and deserters, then more broadly as a military stockade.

In 1934 the U.S. Department of Justice converted Alcatraz into a maximum-security federal penitentiary intended for the country's most difficult inmates, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud (the “Birdman of Alcatraz”). Its cold currents and distance from shore contributed to its reputation as escape-proof, though at least a few attempts — most famously in 1962 — have never been conclusively solved.

Rising costs closed the penitentiary in 1963. From 1969 to 1971, the island was occupied by Native American activists asserting rights under 19th-century treaties, a protest that helped shape federal Indian policy. Alcatraz became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1972 and opened to public tours in 1973.