Touring Alcatraz, San Francisco (Picture Heavy!)

During our time in San Francisco, I've actually toured Alcatraz Island twice, once with two colleagues who were there during an international conference our company held, and again with hubby and my sister when she visited us in May 2014. And since then I couldn't bring myself to edit the photos or post them. Alcatraz was a rather haunting place for me, you see (and many people insist it's haunted too!). The tour itself was quite interesting, and at the same time really sad. So I just couldn't look at these pictures for a long time. But alas Alcatraz is a piece of American history, and so here it is.


***Disclaimer: this post and images there within may be disturbing to some, proceed at your own risk.***

The tour is operated under the name Alcatraz Cruises and you board one of their ferries at Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf. There at Pier 33, outside the lineup gate is a sizable model of the island, with descriptions which I've zoomed so you can read.

Barracks/Apartments.



The Dock.



Guardhouse & Sallyport Complex.

Military Schoolhouse.



Post Exchange & Officers' Club.

 Industrial Buildings.

 See descriptions for "The Dock" above.

Main Prison Building.

Warden's House and Lighthouse.

Staff Housing Area.

Leaving the ferry dock now and looking back at downtown and Coit Tower. 

When I was taking this photo below of the Oakland Bay Bridge, standing next to me was a group of 6-7 college-age Britons, fashionable and well-dressed. I'll paraphrase what I overheard:
- Is that the Golden Gate Bridge? I'm disappointed!
- I thought it would be bigger and more impressive.
- I thought so too!

I held in my giggles and turned around. We made eye contact and I smiled at them, jabbing my thumb over my shoulders. That was when the whole group turned around and the reaction was pretty much:
- Ohhh...!!!
- So that's the Golden Gate Bridge!!!
- Wow!

Then one of the guys turned to me and poked fun at his friends:
- These blokes've even been here before a couple of years ago!

This is the Oakland Bay Bridge folks. The Golden Gate is in the opposite direction xD

Approaching the island, we saw that Karl the Fog had already overran the place. 

Anyway, to get up to the prison, I had to climb a pretty steep hill.

And this was one of the first smaller buildings I saw. Pretty unnerving, huh?

Once inside the main building, I got a headphone with an attached audio recording of the tour narrated by the below correctional officers as well as inmates. You know, to get both sides of the story. People were free to wander off or follow the tour guide. In the upper right picture below, everyone gathered in the main hallway to view a demonstration of the systematic unlocking and opening of the cell doors. In the lower right is the tour guide posing next to the cell lever (circled). Yes, the doors to the cell all open simultaneously all at once, and each cell block takes turn. 

A standard cell.

Tragedy happened here, as one would expect.

If I remember correctly, these were isolation cells. They seemed bigger and slightly nicer than the standard cell, because the inmates didn't actually get to go outside at all (to the recreational yard, cafeteria, etc.). Ever.

And if I remember correctly, this was the maximum security block, right next to the isolation cells. Here the inmate got a standard cell and an outer door, the shutting of which left the entire block pitch black. The tour guide allowed some of us to go inside, after which she shut the outer door for 30 seconds. I went inside. It was pitch black. And dead quiet. Eeeps.

Across from the maximum security cells was a list of infamous inmates. Yes, at the far left there is Al Capone. 

The recreational yard had a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. At the far right of the yard there's a door (circled) leading to the back area.

Here was the view beyond that door circled above. There was a really steep flight of steps down the hill, and the view was amazing, with downtown SF in the distance.

I came down the steps, then paused to take a picture looking back up at the door.

Here I was standing at the door, looking back at the main building.

The cafeteria.

Photos on the wall of the cafeteria.

On my way down the stairs and out of the main building. The tour was pretty much done at this point.

I was standing in line to get back onto a ferry to the return trip, looking at the main building.

Leaving Alcatraz now.