The Friends of Civil War Alcatraz (FOCWA) is a non-profit group that supports the interpretation of Civil War history on Alcatraz Island. In partnership with the National Park Service, the …
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), a unit of the National Park Service, was established by Congress in 1972 as part of a trend to make national park resources more …
One of the most significant, yet often-forgotten, historical “landmarks” of Alcatraz Island is the Native American Occupation, which was in the forefront from 1969–1971. Beginning on November 20, 1969, a …
Guest Blog Post -Michael Esslinger James “Whitey” Bulger, 1428-AZ, was no ordinary criminal. When he arrived on Alcatraz in 1958, the soft-spoken Bulger known as simply “Jimmy” to fellow cons …
Guest Blog Post -Michael Esslinger If you were to gather a group of National Park Rangers who work on Alcatraz and ask them to write down the most common questions …
America’s National Maritime Day is a time-honored tradition that recognizes one of our country’s most important industries. In honor of the country’s maritime industry and the benefits it has brought …
Guest Blog Post – Jolene Babyak Among the many revelations about Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary that surprise most people is that families also resided there. Surprised, at least, until I remind …
[Guest Blogger Jim Albright] Cathy, our son Kenneth, and I were living around the Denver area when I took the test, interview, and physical for employment at the Federal Bureau of …
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary opened in 1934 and when it closed its cell doors for the last time in 1963, more than fifteen hundred prisoners had served time on “The Rock”. Throughout …
[Guest Blogger Bill Baker] Hello, I’m William Baker, former inmate of Alcatraz. Now that I am back to the straight and narrow, I go back now and talk to visitors, answering …
