Alcatraz reopens after being closed for a year
Al Capone knew it. Machine Gun Kelly knew it. During its heyday as America’s toughest prison from 1934 to 1963, escaping from Alcatraz was all but impossible. But for the past year, it’s been nearly as difficult to get inside.
All that changed March 15, when national parks officials reopened the famed former federal penitentiary in the middle of
San Francisco Bay to the public again for indoor tours. The move is the latest example of society slowly reopening as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to fall steadily in California and other states.
“It is my pleasure to begin welcoming visitors back,” said Laura Joss, general superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which oversees the landmark. “We expect everyone to follow CDC guidance, wear a mask and give each other space to safely enjoy their experience.”
In peak summer months during past years, Alcatraz often attracted 5,000 to 6,000 visitors a day. Tourists from all over the world boarded ferry boats to the island site, taking tours in the former cellblock where they wore headphones to listen to recordings of former guards and prisoners describe what life was like on “The Rock.”
But after the COVID-19 pandemic began, access to the prison and Alcatraz Island was closed for health reasons on March
14, 2020. The National Park Service restarted outdooronly tours to the island five months later, in August, but then was forced to close them again on Dec. 6 when COVID-19 cases spiked statewide.
For now, visitors will be limited to 900 a day Friday through Monday and 600 a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays.