Is Alcatraz Really the Most Haunted Place in America?
San Francisco Bay is BEAUTIFUL. There is just something special about the blue of the bay and the deep orange of the bridge. This leads to an important question. Why build a prison there? Was it just for the extra cruelty of making the inmates look at it and know they could never enjoy it? What does it do to a person – being locked up on a cold rock in the middle of paradise? Join us as we unpack our bags in San Francisco and attempt find out the answer to this question: is Alcatraz REALLY the most haunted place in America?
The history
Originally created as a fort, Alcatraz housed prisoners for nearly 100 years. It served as a maximum security, minimum privilege prison for America’s most dangerous inmates. Prisoners were guaranteed food, clothing, shelter and medical care. Everything else, like working or reading, was a privilege that had to be earned. Even talking was prohibited except during outdoor recreation time. These harsh rules served as a warning to anyone who misbehaved.
The worst for the worst
Most of the prisoners were of the notorious variety – men like Al Capone, Robert (the Birdman) Stroud, and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
Regular life on Alcatraz was highly restrictive but if you broke the rules, things could get MUCH worse. As a punishment, violators were sent to “strip cells” where they would have to remove all their clothing and spend time in a cell with no lights, no sink, no mattress, and only a hole in the ground for a toilet. As a result of these harsh conditions, some of the men were never the same.
Tales of the hauntings
Park Rangers who live on the island report having experiences they can’t explain. For instance, the air seems much colder in the main cell block and in the dungeon beneath it, than elsewhere on the island. Wails and screams are sometimes heard at night and shadows are seen walking the halls. And there is some folklore about “the thing” in Alcatraz. Apparently an inmate in solitary claimed a creature was trying to kill him and he was found strangled the the next morning.
Taking the night tour
Since we were in San Francisco, we decided to look into matters for ourselves. And what better way to find out if Alcatraz is haunted than touring the prison at night. Not only did we get the whole “locked in” experience, we got to circle the entire island before docking – giving us a view most never get to see. The day tours only take to you directly to dock at the front of the facility.
Walking up to the prison
Although it’s probably some trick of the light, neither the picture above nor the pictures below are at all altered. There is so much color, coming to the island and once we were there, it’s like someone placed a sepia toned filter over everything.
The tour
Escapes from Alcatraz
The Clint Eastwood movie and multiple Myth-Buster type shows have popularized the escape attempted by Frank Morris and the brothers, John and Clarence Anglin back in 1962. Their escape plan was quite elaborate and included papier-mâché heads, crawling up water pipes in the wall, and a raft made of rubber coats. As you may know, a badly decomposed body, dressed in prison garb was was recovered from the opposite shore. What you may not know is this person’s identity was never confirmed and no other evidence of the other escapees was ever found.
That attempt in 1962 was only one of fourteen different escapes attempted by the inmates. We had never heard about the “Battle of Alcatraz” that took place in 1946, which is actually considered as the most famous one.
Six prisoners overpowered the cell house offices and got access to weapons and keys. A three day siege ensued after the prisoners realized they didn’t have the one key needed to unlock the door to leave the facility. The US Marines were called in and the matter was settled with grenades and bullets. Three prisoners and two guards were killed as a result. The surviving three plotters were charged with killing the officers and received death sentences.
Around the Prison
Before the sun went down, we had about an hour to explore all the places the inmates visited.
And then…Lock Down
As the sun went down, we gathered in the main cell block to experience what it was to have to stay at Alcatraz. A guard stood on the second floor of the cell block and gave the order to shut the cell doors. One after another, we heard the doors roll into place and lock.
Then the order was given for “lights out”. Standing in the total darkness, you might think we would feel afraid or maybe like the place was haunted. But actually, once the lights went down, things became quiet and you could hear the wind whipping past the windows and the surf crashing on the rocks. Over all, the place felt very sad. It was a lonely hopelessness that made me wonder how these men were able to survive it, day after day.
The lights came back up and we made our way back to the boat.
And then…there was this
On our way out, we passed this cute little building and peeked in. We were surprised by the sense of foreboding that seemed to come out of no where. I took a picture of the interior and stepped back to read the sign on the door, which read “Morgue”. These aren’t retouched so, what do you think? Is Alcatraz REALLY the most haunted places in America?
I have to say, the prison didn’t get to me but this little building? Something was certainly off there. So it may well be one of the most “haunted” places I’ve been.
So that’s wrap!
Thanks for joining us for another October of Haunted Travels. This year, we shared lots of experiences, including some things that may well have been on the spooky spectrum. If you enjoyed these stories, consider subscribing for free. Our weekly email not only has our latest content, it has great articles from around the web and really fun things to share with your friends. Or with your enemies. Hey, we don’t judge.
