Welcome to:
AlcatraZtheROCK.com
D E S T I N AT I O N :
ALCATRAZ !
H I S T O R Y , P E O P L E , M Y S T E R I E S ,
T R A V E L I N F O & M O R E !
WELCOME to Alcatraz Island, a.k.a. 'the ROCK' ! This iconic rocky out-cropping, located at the
center of San Francisco Bay, has an endless inventory of amazing stories to share, so discover here -
the quite surprising, and entertaining - history of the 'little island with the BIG reputation!'
We hope our site will help you research and prepare for an in-person visit, or to - for now - just tour the
island and it's compelling - and multi-layered history - virtually, through our photo galleries, blogs,
profiles , etc. Please NAVIGATE our site to discover spectacular Alcatraz Island!
LEARN , of Alcatraz Island's geologic history, of the earliest Native American visitors, the eventual
physical transformation by the U.S. Army, then - 80 years later! - the transition from military fortress &
prison, to the infamous U.S. Federal Penitentiary - Alcatraz, and ultimately the creation here, to one
of our country's most intriguing, and popular U.S. National Park-sites.
HEAR of over a dozen daring and dangerous prison escape attempts - while meeting the real
'tough-guys' who did 'hard-time' here, and others who also lived on Alcatraz - by choice - prison
guards and their families.
EXPLORE with us, hidden and little-known Alcatraz historical treasures - including surprising Civil
War Era gardens, the location of our country's first west-coast Lighthouse, and surprising seabird
nesting colonies! Follow the LINKS below, or the 'Subjects' listings at the top of the page.
And/or: SCROLL down for more content.
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Alcatraz Island , once home to America's most dangerous Federal Penitentiary, is now also a unique and enticing U.S. National Park site, at the center of San Francisco Bay, and offers opportunities to explore multiple layers of intriguing and important American history. . .
For many people, interest in Alcatraz history begins with a natural curiosity for the history of America's most renown prison, U.S.P. - Alcatraz (1934-1963). Intense public interest was first fostered by an intense secrecy - created by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons - when it opened the new facility in August 1934, and has continued for the past eight decades.
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Numerous notorious criminals, from America's infamous 'Gangster Era' - late 1920's, early 1930's - including Al 'Scarface' Capone, Alvin 'Creepy' Karpis, and George 'Machine-Gun' Kelly, were transferred to 'the Rock' from other federal prisons - as America's 'most dangerous criminals' and 'high escape-risks'.
With the arrival of each these Gangster Era 'celebrity' prisoners, the secrecy regarding their treatment fanned the public interest- and Hollywood movie producers quickly responded with a succession of Alcatraz themed releases.
The first of the major productions, would star two major leading-male actors of the time, Edgar G. Robinson and Jimmy Stewart - in 'The Last Gangster' (1937).
A succession of Hollywood films would follow - over many decades - including 'Birdman of Alcatraz' (1962) starring Burt Lancaster, the iconic 'Escape from Alcatraz' (1973)- detailing the 1962 'Greatest Escape', starring lead-actor Clint Eastwood, and then the blockbuster - 'The Rock' - featuring box-office stars Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage (1996).
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Since Alcatraz Island opened as a U.S. National Park site in 1972, visitors numbering up to nearly 1.5 million - from all points around the globe - have traveled to this special historic island each year!
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Alcatraz visitors are enriched by the history preserved here as the discover significant Civil War military fortifications, historic gardens, the site of the first light-house on the American west coast, and the surprising seasonal colonies of nesting seabirds.
We hope you enjoy your 'virtual visit' to our site - and hopefully are planning an actual visit sometime in the not-too-distant future!
There are numerous fascinating discoveries to share -from the Civil War/Fortress Era, through the infamous penitentiary period, to today's National Park site - so please - enjoy your 'visit' and return often, as this is an ever-evolving site!
Check out our BLOG POSTS BELOW, navigate to other pages at the top of this home-page, or click on images in 'Virtual Tours' to connect to expanding content:
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