Nov. 16, 2024. My daughter joined me for this one. It was great spending the day with her! ♥️
Alcatraz. Site of the first lighthouse in CA (1854). A military prison was erected in 1868, and “offenders” included Native Americans who refused to assimilate and conscientious objectors to WWI. The prison was updated to a federal penitentiary in 1934, and the next 29 years saw over 1500 prisoners incarcerated there. Employees and their families also lived on the island, though those buildings have since fallen into ruin with some of them entirely razed.
An audio tour is included in the price of the ferry ticket. The tour takes you through the prison and describes the bleak daily lives of the inmates.
The NPS currently has an exhibit about incarceration within the USA and the social injustice factors that contribute to the incarceration of certain groups of individuals over others. I did not get a photo of that excellent exhibit as it was too crowded.
This is a popular site, so be comfortable with lots of people extremely close to you at all times.
