Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is located in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison (1828), and a federal prison from 1934 until 1963. Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans from San Francisco, who were part of a wave of Native activism across the nation, with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz became part of a national recreation area and received designation as a National Historic
Legends of Alcatraz their refuge. "The Washington Post" has also claimed that Alcatraz is a place "where visitors can sense the dread of past inhabitants still trapped in the atmosphere." "New York Magazine" has said that although the penitentiary hasn't been operational since 1963, it "remains ultra sinister, perversely fascinating, iconic." A documentary "Haunted Alcatraz", broadcast on the Travel Channel, has said "there is little question that Alcatraz holds a particular place in our collective imagination, consistently evoking feeling, stirring and dark" and that the "power of the island" still captivates visitors after departure. A 1995 book included Alcatraz as one of "The