The Rock, Alcatraz Island - San Francisco Bay, California

You can not escape from "The Rock", as it is commonly known. Alcatraz was a high security federal prison from 1934 to 1963. The main prison building was constructed from 1910 to 1912. It housed 1,576 total prisoners who continually caused trouble at other federal prisons. 36 prisoners made 14 attempts to escape The Rock; none are known to have survived.
The island also contains the oldest operating lighthouse on the American west coast.
Alcatraz is now a museum and a major San Francisco tourist attraction. 1.5 million visitors annually tour the grounds.
The white structure covers the iconic water tower since it is undergoing renovation for visitor safety.
This video was captured in March, 2012 with a Canon HFS-100 camera and was edited with Adobe Premier Pro 6.0.
Music is "Oppressive Gloom" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a CC Attribution 3.0.
incompetech.com....

[@davidegg22]

The freed jail birds are visible at 1:05 flying around the structure. Sorry, I just HAD to say that! Once a federal prisoner always a federal prisoner. The convicts were probably transferred to another federal penitentiary to serve the balance of their time. Thanks for watching and commenting! Dave.

[@senorkaboom]

My wife and I toured Alcatraz when we were in San Francisco a couple years ago. The thing that got me about the prison was how cold it was. I do not mean temp. cold, I mean architecturally. Nothing about the interior of that place is warm or inviting. Very cold and unfriendly.

[@laylaemarals270]

i love learning about this part in history

[@carolinewaite7185]

Love this - excellent can feel all of the history here. A very formidable place even more so now empty and leaving everything for the eyes to see! Love the warning sign that you basically will be put into prison for helping a prisoner! Is that renovation work under the cover? I know the place is basically decaying from concrete cancer. Excellent video.

[@davidegg22]

Caroline, you are correct again! The cover over the water tower was there to help protect the workers from the elements as they renovated the tower. It was a 2 million renovation but it needed to be done since it could have fallen over due to Mother Nature eating away its metal supports. The tower needed to be saved since it is iconic. Another one of my videos that may interest you is the island tour including inside the cell block that I captured a couple years after this one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIOcoqyMbbp2nq8 It shows the restored water tower, including the words painted on the tower from the occupation. During this occupied time, some of the buildings were gutted by fire. Thanks again for watching, asking questions, and especially your kind words. It is comments like yours that make the extra efforts all worthwhile! Dave.

[@senorkaboom]

We toured Alcatraz a couple years ago and what got me was how, architecturally, it was so cold. Cement walls and steel bars do not lend themselves to a warm and inviting environment.

[@davidegg22]

I do not think the judicial system cared much about a warm and inviting environment for the worst of the worst prisoners. It was the staff and families that tried to make it home by adding external landscaping, flowers, etc. Dave.

[@stephencurry5728]

The entire Alcatraz Island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and was further declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986. In 1993, the National Park Service published a plan entitled Alcatraz Development Concept and Environmental Assessment.This plan, approved in 1980, doubled the amount of Alcatraz accessible to the public to enable visitors to enjoy its scenery and bird, marine, and animal life.

[@donmak0427]

Heh! Well done video. I loved the minor-key music - very moody and mysterious. I've been there a couple of times, and it's a real blast from the past - several very famous criminals were kept there: Al Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly, "The Birdman of Alcatraz" Robert Stroud, etc. A must-visit historical site if you're ever in the area.

[@davidegg22]

+Don Saito Don, many thanks for watching and commenting on my video. You are right, this is a "must see" attraction when you are in SF. We were fortunate to have great weather when we were there (except for the wind in the exercise yard! I needed to hold the tripod down to get a steady shot and almost FROZE to death!) Thanks also for the comment on the sound track. I really try to set the stage with the music I select to help with the viewer experience. Thanks again for viewing and posting your kind words. Dave in Montana.

[@stephencurry5728]

Alcatraz Island (/ˈælkəˌtræz/) is located in San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison (1868), and a federal prison from 1934 until 1963. Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans from San Francisco who were part of a wave of Native activism across the nation with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz became part of a national recreation area and received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Today, the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area; it is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco. Hornblower Cruises and Events, operating under the name Alcatraz Cruises, is the official ferry provider to and from the island. It is home to the abandoned prison, the site of the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States, early military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools and a seabird colony (mostly western gulls, cormorants, and egrets). According to a 1971 documentary on the history of Alcatraz, the island measures 1,675 feet (511 m) by 590 feet (180 m) and is 135 feet (41 m) at highest point during mean tide.However, the total area of the island is reported to be 22 acres (8.9 ha). Landmarks on the island include the Main Cellhouse, Dining Hall, Library, Lighthouse, the ruins of the Warden's House and Officers' Club, Parade Grounds, Building 64, Water Tower, New Industries Building, Model Industries Building, and the Recreation Yard.

[@music39053]

What is the white high-rise building on the island?

[@davidegg22]

Music_Lover Forever The white building is actually covered scaffolding surrounding the original water tower. The original tower was a safety hazard since the metal uprights were eaten away due to years of being in salt air. The water tower was completely rebuilt at a cost of approximately two million dollars. It will never hold water but it is an iconic piece of history. They even reproduced the lettering that appeared during the Indian occupation from 1969-71. The rebuilt tower can be seen in in the video I shot on the island the following year. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIOcoqyMbbp2nq-Ihanks for watching and asking your question. Dave in Montana.

[@stephencurry5728]

The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz was acquired by the United States Department of Justice on October 12, 1933, and the island became a federal prison in August 1934. Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons. At 9:40 am on August 11, 1934, the first batch of 137 prisoners arrived at Alcatraz, arriving by railroad from the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas at Santa Venetia, California, before being escorted to Alcatraz, handcuffed in high security coaches and guarded by some 60 special FBI agents, U.S. Marshals and railway security officials. Most of the prisoners were notorious bank robbers and murderers. The prison initially had a staff of 155, including the first warden James A. Johnston and associate warden J. E. Shuttleworth, both considered to be "iron men".The staff were highly trained in security, but not rehabilitation. Cell 181 in Alcatraz where Al Capone was imprisoned During the 29 years it was in use, the jail held some of the most notorious criminals in American history, such as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Bumpy Johnson, Rafael Cancel Miranda (a member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party who attacked the United States Capitol building in 1954),Mickey Cohen, Arthur R. "Doc" Barker, James "Whitey" Bulger, and Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (who served more time at Alcatraz than any other inmate). It also provided housing for the Bureau of Prisons staff and their families. During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught alive, six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned, and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned". The most violent occurred on May 2, 1946, when a failed escape attempt by six prisoners led to the Battle of Alcatraz. On June 11, 1962, Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin carried out one of the most intricate escapes ever devised.

[@confederatefan]

going there in November from the UK cant wait!!!!!

[@davidegg22]

WOW! A major adventure for you! Try to book a cell block tour to get onto the island. It shouldn't be a problem in November. You may be interested in my cell block video kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIOcoqyMbbp2nq8 Thanks for watching my videos and have a terrific time in San Francisco! Dave in Montana.

[@confederatefan]

+davidegg22 ive booked the night tour. Only $40 :)

[@davidegg22]

Sweet! I see you have done your research beforehand! Good job! I hear the night tour is one of the best! Dress warm and make sure you catch the last boat to the mainland! I guess the beds are hard as rock! :)

[@confederatefan]

Mostly from the Trip Adviser app from people who have been there already. I can't wait to go (12th November)... I was told that renting a car is a bad idea?. I only want a car to go down Lombard Street. I heard hiring out a go car is a good idea as it takes you around SF. The only thing i am confused about is the tipping. Never been to USA so have no clue on it haha

[@davidegg22]

Michael, your research has taught you well. My advice is to use public transportation such as: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4qynp6NmKmgoZY and kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYClpZ59r8mHa6s You could walk down Lombard Street kzbin.info/www/bejne/mofQdZyHpslpeZo or take a cab. Grab one of the bus tours to give you a good feel of the area. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6m6hX-EfbWphbt1s far as tipping, I go 15% for average table service and 18%-20% for great service (and for a server who has a personality!) I usually leave a dollar or two on the table at buffets where I serve myself. I cant speak for transportation but probably a $5 tip is adequate for rides up to $50.Just go and have fun but say on the safe side and stash your cash where someone can't easily pick it from you and be aware of your surroundings.Later. Dave.

[@stephencurry5728]

Because the penitentiary cost much more to operate than other prisons (nearly $10 per prisoner per day, as opposed to $3 per prisoner per day at Atlanta), and half a century of salt water saturation had severely eroded the buildings, then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered the penitentiary closed on March 21, 1963. In addition, citizens were increasingly protesting the environmental effects of sewage released into San Francisco Bay from the approximately 250 inmates and 60 Bureau of Prisons families on the island. That year, the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, on land, opened as the replacement facility for Alcatraz.

[@davidegg22]

Ivan, many thanks for the remarkable history lesson. I appreciate you posting your comments for all to see and enjoy. It was a great experience to be there and your comments help others understand. Thanks again! Dave.

[@TheMaximusKane]

"The Rock" was labeled as the "unescapable prison" until contrary to belief there was an assumed successful escape attempt by three men on June 11, 1962, by Frank Morris, and John and Clarence Anglin. Their bodies were never found and still to this day remain on the F.B.I. Most Wanted list. In 2013, a man claiming to be John Anglin had sent a letter to the San Francisco police department which he stated that he was one of the three men who escaped in 1962. He claimed that all men did survive the escape, he claimed that Clarence and his bother Frank had died years earlier and he was the only one left alive. He was 83 years old at the time that the letter was received and said that he would turn himself in to the authorities in exchange for medical treatment at he stated in the letter that he was dying of cancer. The letter was tested to reveal if he was in fact who he said he was but the letter came back unconclusive. Regardless, nothing else was heard from the man claiming to be John Anglin. Although he if were to still be alive he would now be in his 90's but it's presumed that all men are now deceased but they will remain on the F.B.I.'s most wanted list forever.

[@davidegg22]

Awesome comment. Thanks for adding a bit of history to this video. I appreciate it. Dave.

[@CHUYBU]

Nice video!

[@stephencurry5728]

Alcatraz Island was occupied by Native American activists for the first time on March 8, 1964. The event was reported by, among others, the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco. Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of Native Americans called United Indians of All Tribes, mostly college students from San Francisco, occupied the island to protest federal policies related to American Indians. Some of them were children of Indians who had relocated in the city as part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) Indian termination policy, which was a series of laws and policies aimed at the assimilation of Native Americans into mainstream American society, particularly by encouraging Indians to move away from the Indian reservations and into cities. A number of employees of the Bureau of Indian Affairs also occupied Alcatraz at that time, including Doris Purdy, an amateur photographer, who later produced footage of her stay on the island.[28] The occupiers, who stayed on the island for nearly two years, demanded the island's facilities be adapted and new structures built for an Indian education center, ecology center and cultural center. The American Indians claimed the island by provisions of the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) between the U.S. and the Sioux; they said the treaty promised to return all retired, abandoned or out-of-use federal lands to the Native peoples from whom it was acquired. (Note: The Treaty of 1868 stated that all abandoned or unused federal land adjacent to the Great Sioux Reservation could be reclaimed by descendants of the Sioux Nation.) Indians of All Tribes then claimed Alcatraz Island by the "Right of Discovery", as indigenous peoples knew it thousands of years before any Europeans had come to North America. Begun by urban Indians of San Francisco, the occupation attracted other Native Americans from across the country, including American Indian Movement (AIM) urban activists from Minneapolis. The Alcatraz cellhouse, lighthouse, and Warden's House which was burned out during the 1969-71 Native American occupation. The Native Americans demanded reparation for the many treaties broken by the US government and for the lands which were taken from so many tribes. In discussing the Right of Discovery, the historian Troy R. Johnson states in The Occupation of Alcatraz Island, that indigenous peoples knew about Alcatraz at least 10,000 years before any European knew about any part of North America. During the nineteen months and nine days of occupation by the American Indians, several buildings at Alcatraz were damaged or destroyed by fire, including the recreation hall, the Coast Guard quarters and the warden's home. The origin of the fires is disputed. The U.S. government demolished a number of other buildings (mostly apartments) after the occupation had ended. Graffiti from the period of Native American occupation are still visible at many locations on the island. During the occupation, President Richard Nixon rescinded the Indian termination policy, designed by earlier administrations to end federal recognition of tribes and their special relationship with the US government. He established a new policy of self-determination, in part as a result of the publicity and awareness created by the occupation. The occupation ended on June 11, 1971.

[@andreapatane4204]

Alcatraz means "Pelican" in Spanish, because it was rumored that pelicans would nest on top of the guard tower. The guard shot them, because he didn't want these feathered critters to nest in that area. You can still the hole at the bottom of the guard tower today. Sorry for talking like a tour guide. My great grandparents who died a long time ago witnessed the action on this famous 🌴 back then when they were a young couple.

[@davidegg22]

All tour guides (and knowledgeable people like yourself) are welcome! Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. I appreciate it immensely! Dave in Montana.

[@dsfdggsdgdfdfhhdfhhdhd]

Andrea Patane actually the guys who want to escape was only three because the fourth one was struggles to break the vent cover and the others escaped but they left a raft for him but he didn't escape he was left and Alcatraz/The Rock was turned into a museum for the history and the real Alcatraz was broken and it was reopened as a museum

[@dogsense3773]

B.s story I was an u.s park service ranger there 1994-2018

[@gameonlildanggy201]

0:47 ...the island has the shape of a boat...

[@CoolingSoda]

3 prisoners escaped an impossible prison in history but officers believed that they drowned but others believed that the survived Escape from Alkatraz

[@andreapatane4204]

When the prison closed, Hollywood showed 🎥 on this 🌴 that you're talking about on KZbin. I went on that field trip in the 6th Grade. I was in middle school then. My dad chaperoned it.

[@andragruenenwald5867]

And believing is the chair i got there too.....? And it is like an thrown gasinterruption? Between more than one Island? Overtaken?

[@arnulfomedina7707]

If there really is zombies watch out for Brutus!!!!!!

[@JerryGonzales71]

Black ops 2 has me scared to go back

[@kdkrage7378]

Dude especially Brutus!

[@thekhary89]

Wooow Nice vídeo

[@paramiind4730]

Same

[@NewEra07Official]

Call or Duty made this place living hell

[@dmelleis]

👀

[@silviafrias2097]

I going to alcratraz l do things so

[@davidegg22]

Have a great time! We did! Dave.

[@ZappyX]

Mob of the death!

[@dsfdggsdgdfdfhhdfhhdhd]

History of the day:Alcatraz/the rock come watch it today

[@richyoungsteryoungster2664]

Mob of the dead brought me here

[@andreapatane4204]

Going Home episode from The Streets of San Francisco Season 2 brought me here. The late Tom Bosley hid in 1 of the jail cells in that scene, because his character is a wanted 👨🏻.