Alcatraz Island, San Francisco

History

Alcatraz island lies 1.5 miles off shore of San Francisco, California. The island's first function was to house a lighthouse and it is still the home of the oldest functioning lighthouse on the west coast of the US.

The island has had various functions over the years, including that of a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison and a federal prison, it is known as the most famous prison in the world.

It became a prison in August, 1934 and remained so for 29 years until it closed down in 1963. It today functions as a tourist attraction and wildlife sanctuary.

Hauntings

Supposedly, Alcatraz is one of the most haunted locations in America. Many reports of hauntings include seeing many different apparitions, the sounds of chains clanking and the slamming of doors and moving of objects.

Many people have died on this island since it was first occupied and the potential for it to be haunted is huge. Also reports of hearing screams coming from distant, unoccupied rooms are common, as are hearing the sounds of talking, whispering and footsteps through out the prison were the source cannot be identified.

Tours of the prison are held on a regular basis which reach the island by ferry leaving from San Francisco wharf.

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