The Unruly Spirits Inhabiting Alcatraz Island

Posted: 12.17.2024 | Updated: 12.18.2024

Just 1.5 miles off the coast of San Francisco sits the notorious Alcatraz Island. From 1934-1963, Alcatraz was home to the harshest maximum security prison in the United States. Known as “The Rock” and “Hellcatraz,” the prison quickly developed a reputation for being where the worst of the worst were incarcerated. As a result, hauntings were reported as early as the 1940s and continue to this day. Even staff will admit that there are still a number of permanent residents on Alcatraz Island.

Looking to learn more about the ghosts and hauntings of San Francisco? You can learn more about the Bay area’s spooky side by booking a ghost tour today with San Francisco Ghosts for your next visit.

Who Haunts Alcatraz Island?

During its time as a federal prison, Alcatraz housed 1,576 prisoners. Some of the more high-profile prisoners include Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Whitey Bulger, and Robert Stroud, aka the Birdman of Alcatraz. Numerous prisoners were murdered on the island, either by other inmates or by guards, during failed escape attempts. It’s believed that numerous murdered inmates now haunt the prison and are unable to move on as a result of their violent deaths. There are also reports of an evil entity lurking in Cellblock D, with reports going back to the days when Alcatraz was a functional prison. Regardless of who exactly haunts Alcatraz, there is no denying the ominous feeling that hangs over the island.

History of Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island got its name from Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, who visited the rocky island in 1775 and named it “Isla de los Alcatraces,” which means “Island of the pelicans” since the island was essentially a bird sanctuary at the time.

In 1854, a lighthouse was built on the island, and a guard house was completed in 1857. The facility would continue adding additions as it transformed into a military prison. When the Alcatraz Cellhouse was completed in 1912, it was the largest concrete building in the world.

In 1933, Alcatraz was handed over to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which transformed it into a maximum security prison. The first federal prisoners arrived at Alcatraz in 1934 and were given only four rights: food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. Alcatraz was equipped to hold 450 prisoners but typically housed 260 at a time. 

Alcatraz’s prison was sectioned off into four cellblocks lettered A, B, C, and D. Cells were only 4.5’x10’ but did have views of San Francisco Bay, which proved to be another sort of punishment since prisoners could hear and see everyday life taking place just beyond their reach. Over the years, 34 prisoners would attempt 14 escapes. Only one group of prisoners successfully made it off the island, but it’s never been proven if they survived or not. Their story was dramatized in the film Escape from Alcatraz.

Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy closed Alcatraz in 1963 due to the deteriorating conditions of the prison and the high costs of maintaining it. The island became a national park in 1973 and now welcomes 1.4 million guests each year.

Native American Occupation of Alcatraz

In 1964, members of the Sicangu Lakota journeyed to Alcatraz to begin an occupation of the island. As both a military and federal prison, Alcatraz had incarcerated many Indigenous people, a number of whom resisted having their children re-educated by the US government. 

Although the 1964 occupation of Alcatraz was brief, it inspired a second occupation that lasted from 1969 to 1971. During this time, Richard Oakes, the leader of the Mohawk tribe, occupied the island with his group, Indians of All Tribes. At the height of the occupation, 400 people lived on Alcatraz Island. In 1971, US marshals forced the group off the island.

Today, celebrations are held on Alcatraz Island on Columbus Day and Thanksgiving to remember the Native American occupations.

Ghosts of Alcatraz Island

Encounters with ghosts reportedly began at Alcatraz when it was still an operating prison. In the 1940s, during a holiday party at the Warden James Johnston’s house on the island, guests saw a man in 1800s clothing. After a few moments, the man vanished into thin air, and the fire went out in the fireplace. While giving a tour of the prison, Warden Johnston and his tour group heard the sounds of a woman sobbing. As they tried to find where the sound was coming from, a chilling air blew through the prison, and the sobbing abruptly stopped. 

Other hauntings include disembodied screams, the sound of dragging chains, and unexplained cold spots. Guards have smelled and seen smoke in the old laundry room only for it to disappear in a matter of minutes. It’s also near the laundry room that the ghosts of three inmates who were murdered during an escape have been spotted. The ghostly image of the original Alcatraz lighthouse has been seen by many over the years, casting its light over the Bay Area before slowly disappearing.

Cellblock D

Cellblock D is considered the most haunted area of Alcatraz. Cellblock D was known as the “Treatment Unit” and is comprised of 42 cells. Five of the cells were known as “The Hole,” where prisoners could spend up to 19 days in solitary confinement. All meals were eaten in their rooms, and they were allowed two showers per week. Cell 14D was considered the worst of the cells on Cellblock D. Cell 14D was lined with steel and had no sink or toilet–just a hole in the floor. Prisoners were stripped and left in complete darkness for one or two days as punishment. Today, staff and visitors note that Cell 14D is roughly 20 degrees colder than the rest of the cellblock. 

Guards who patroled Cellblock D reported seeing the ghost of a man in 1800s clothing, perhaps the same man who was seen at the warden’s Christmas party. Another paranormal experience that occurred in the 1940s happened when a prisoner was placed in “The Hole.” The prisoner quickly began screaming that an entity with glowing eyes was in the cell with him. After several hours, the screams stopped. The next morning, the prisoner was found dead with strangulation marks around his neck. None of the guards admitted to the killing, and an autopsy confirmed that the injury would not have been self-inflicted. 

Al Capone

From 1934 to 1939, Al Capone was prisoner 85 at Alcatraz. While Capone had been able to manipulate staff at previous prisons, he was treated much like any other inmate on the island. Capone did have access to a banjo that he would regularly play. Decades after Capone’s incarceration, banjo music has been heard coming from his old cell, 181 in Cellblock B. The music is also heard playing in the shower area.

Haunted San Francisco

Alcatraz Island may be the epicenter of ghostly activity in San Francisco, but there are countless ghost stories to learn about in the San Francisco Bay. You can hear about them by booking a tour with San Francisco Ghosts today! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real California hauntings.

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