Island Origins
The Spanish name “Isla de los Alcatraces” refers to this seabird.
What is the pelican?
Kids who lived on Alcatraz took this to travel to and from their school in San Francisco.
What is the ferry boat?
Each prisoner’s cell measured about this many square feet.
What is 45 square feet?
No inmate ever confirmed to have reached this after escaping Alcatraz’s waters.
What is the mainland?
The National Park Service took over Alcatraz in this year, opening it to the public.
What is 1973?
Before the prison, Alcatraz served as this for the U.S. military.
What is a fort?
Families on “The Rock” spent their free time here, knocking down pins and earning trophies.
Prisoners marched to this daily location at 6 AM for count and work assignments.
What is the prison yard?
In 1946, this riot-like breakout attempt by six inmates left three guards dead.
What is the “Battle of Alcatraz”?
Visitors reach Alcatraz via these official ferry boats operated by the park service.
What is the “Red and White” ferries?
In what bay of California does Alcatraz Island sit?
What San Francisco Bay?
This “Birdman” inmate famously painted cell windows on his cell walls.
Who is Robert Stroud?
Inmates wore uniforms of alternating stripes of these two colours.
What is black and white?
In 1962, brothers Clarence and John Anglin escaped by building this out of raincoats.
What is a raft?
The Alcatraz audio tour features real voices of former guards and inmates, including this man who wrote a book about his time there.
Who is Jim Quillen?
The island’s rock is primarily this type of volcanic rock.
What is basalt?
The only woman ever incarcerated at Alcatraz, briefly held in 1934 before transfer.
Who is Bessie Earp?
The dining hall was colloquially called this “mess” area.
What is the rotunda?
Name one of the two guard towers prisoners had to avoid when swimming away.
What is Tower 3 (or Tower 4)?
This annual gathering commemorates the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz.
What is the “Indians of All Tribes” event?
The U.S. government acquired Alcatraz Island in this year.
What is 1850?
This inmate escaped twice from Alcatraz—once by tunneling through the walls of his cell.
Who is Henri Young?
This punishment cell, sometimes used as solitary “hole,” was nicknamed after a vile-smelling item.
What is the strip cell (or “dungeon”)?
Despite this many recorded escape attempts, no one ever officially made it to freedom.
What is 36?
Alcatraz is part of this larger National Recreation Area managed by the NPS.
What is the Golden Gate National Recreation Area?