Alcatraz Island

San Francisco, CA 94133, United States

Alcatraz Island is situated in the heart of San Francisco, 1.25 miles offshore (2.01 km) California, US. The island has a lighthouse, a military fortification and a military prison between 1934 and the 21 March of 1963. It has been located on the island of Alcatraz. There were still strong water currents throughout the island and therefore there was smaller risk of escaping prison. The island was occupied for a period of more than 19 months in November 1969 by a group of San Francisco Americans who were part of a wave of U.S. native resistance with mass protests in the 1970's. Alcatraz became part of Golden Gate's National Recreation Area in 1972, and was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

It now has the facilities of the island's National Park Service within the Golden Gate National Recreational Area; it is available for tours. Tourists from the island will enter Pier 33 in less than fifteen minutes by ferry between the San Francisco Ferry Bubble and the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf. Hornblower Cruises and Activities, under the name Alcatraz Cruises, is the official ferry provider to and from the island.

Along the west coast of the United States, the oldest working lighthouse and early military strongfields, and natural features such as rock baths and a seabird settlement (mostly Western gulls, cormorants and egrets were all housed along Alcatraz Island). According to a documentary about Alcatraz history in 1971, the island is 1,675 feet (511 m) wide by 590 feet (180 m) and reaches its peak during medium-sized tides. The total area of the island is 22 acres (8.9 ha).

The island was low in vegetation and in 1775 it was a coastal refuge to be explored by Lieutenant Juan Manuel de Ayala. Lieutenant Juan Manuel de Ayala called it Isla de los Alcatraces ("Pelicans Island"). Alcatraz was the first lighthouse on the coast of California (1854), sold to the U.S. Government in 1849. Then other buildings were constructed on the island, where in 1859 the first permanent unit of the army was established. In 1861 it was declared the residence of military offenders. Earlier, some 19 Arizonian Hopi Indians defied government assimilation efforts, and in 1900 American troops fought and helped the Philippines. They've been made prisoner subsequently. In 1907 it was named the Pacific Military Prison Branch of the United States.

In 1972, Alcatraz joined the National Recreation Area at Golden Gate. While no attempt was made to rehabilitate the buildings of the island — most of them were degraded and weathered generally and the Historic Lighthouse, and in 1970 four houses were destroyed. The island of Alcatraz is still publicly accessible and a popular tourist destination. But the buildings were largely demolished on the island.

This island's outstanding features include the Main Cellhouse, Dining Hall, Lighthouse, Warden's House and Social Hall Ruins, Parade Grounds, Building 64, Water Tower, New Industries Building, Model Industries Building, and Recreation Yard.