Prisioners were not the only ones living on Alcatraz

Prisoners were not the only ones living on Alcatraz, the Rock was also home to guards, ground keepers and their families (Have you met the new neighbor? He seems like a straight shooter).


About 200 civilians lived on the island including around 50 children. According to Claire Rudolf Murphy, author of Children of Alcatraz, children on the island lived relatively normal lives; playing sports, hanging out at the corner store, attending dances and visiting 'lovers lane.' Many of the buildings which housed the civilians were destroyed by fires during the Native American occupation of the island from 1969-71.

Other famous big houses like Soledad and San Quentin also had civilian populations.

Alcatraz Island is now a tourist attraction. I would definitely check it out when visiting San Francisco, but remember to make your ferry reservations in advance.

Yeah, I did some time...

For more information on Alcatraz, visit AlcatrazHistory.com.

Thanks to The Rock for inspiring this post and the best Sean Connery line ever.