RELATED SEARCHES
Sponsored Alcatraz Results:
Alcatraz: Haunted Places, Hauntings, Ghosts, Spirits, Paranormal Activity
By:
Published: November 12, 2007
San Francisco harbor hosts what may be one of the most haunted places in America. Alcatraz Island is visible from shore, but is often shrouded in mist. Sometimes referred to as "The Rock" or "Hellcatraz," the island's reputation for paranormal activity may be linked to its peculiar history. Alcatraz is most commonly associated with the federal penitentiary that resided there from 1934 to 1963.
Alcatraz housed some of the most notorious criminals in American history during that period. Most notably, Al Capone was imprisoned and eventually died in Alcatraz, and his ghost reputedly remains on the island. However, Capone is only one of the spirits who reside at Alcatraz, and the period during which the island hosted the prison is but one of many phases in its long history.
Hauntings do not always occur in a place because of things that have happened there. Sometimes a place is just born with bad 'mojo,' and in the case of Alcatraz, the hauntings may be because of both. Before the island became a federal prison it served as a military fortress, charged with the protection of San Francisco Bay. Before that, it was home to the West Coast's first lighthouse. It was before colonization, however, that the Ohlone tribe banished their criminals to Alcatraz. The Native American tribe held that the mysterious island was home to evil spirits. It seems that Alcatraz was meant to be a prison.
Indeed, the "Hellcatraz" moniker was initiated during the island's military period. Union forces also used it as a prison, confining Confederate soldiers and Native Americans in the poorest of conditions. Prisoners' living conditions did not improve much when it became a federal penitentiary in 1934. Its prisoners were the worst of the worst criminals in captivity within the U.S.; however, many of Alcatraz's roughest characters were known to meekly weep in the faces of the resident ghosts and spirits.
There are several distinct haunted places within Alcatraz. For example, witnesses have reported hearing banjo music coming from the vicinity of Al Capone's cell. Ghosts have also been spotted proximate to where the warden's house used to stand, before it burned to the ground. Auditory and visual paranormal activity has also been experienced elsewhere in and around the former prison. However, the most intense episodes have been experienced in cell #14 within D-Block.
D-Block was where prisoners were sent when they misbehaved and were in need of "the treatment." For prisoners of D-Block, this entailed varying degrees of sensory deprivation for up to 48 hours. Cell 14-D was the darkest and dankest of all the cells in Alcatraz. As legend has it, the unpleasant cell was where numerous prisoners frantically complained of someone, or something, being in the cell with them. Prisoners describe the unwelcome cellmate as the presence of glowing, menacing eyes. One prisoner complained of the presence immediately following being closed in 14-D. He screamed for assistance for hours until his voice gave out, or so the guards thought. The prisoner was found dead the next morning, having been strangled.
Of course, it is more likely that a guard strangled the inmate, however the murder remains unsolved. More recently, witnesses have reported a drastic drop in temperature upon entering cell #14. Others have experienced a tingling sensation in their extremities while in the cell. As haunted places go, ghost seeking individuals are rarely disappointed when visiting the prison as a tourist.
Those who believe in paranormal activity suspect that occurrences may be tied to the suffering souls of a haunted place's past. Alcatraz certainly fits this theory. Every phase of the island's history is saturated with death, pain and fear. Those who wish to experience Alcatraz simply need to take a ferry to the island. "Hellcatraz" is now part of the National Park service, and tours of the prison are available. Visitors to Alcatraz should be prepared to be amazed by the musical styling of the late Al Capone on the banjo.
Sources:
Stefko, Jill. "Alcatraz: Ghosts & Haunted History." Suite101.com. 21 May 2007. 8 Nov. 2007. http://ghosts-hauntings.suite101.com/article.cfm/a lcatraz_ghosts_haunted_history.
Weiser, Kathy. "The History & Hauntings of Alcatraz: The Ghosts of Alcatraz." Legends of America: A Travel Site for the Nostalgic & Historic Minded. Oct. 2005. 8 Nov. 2007. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/CA-Alcatraz6.html.
Wlodarski, Anne & Rob. "Alcatraz." The Shadowlands: Famous Hauntings. 8 Nov. 2007. http://theshadowlands.net/famous/alcatraz.htm.
Hauntings do not always occur in a place because of things that have happened there. Sometimes a place is just born with bad 'mojo,' and in the case of Alcatraz, the hauntings may be because of both. Before the island became a federal prison it served as a military fortress, charged with the protection of San Francisco Bay. Before that, it was home to the West Coast's first lighthouse. It was before colonization, however, that the Ohlone tribe banished their criminals to Alcatraz. The Native American tribe held that the mysterious island was home to evil spirits. It seems that Alcatraz was meant to be a prison.
Indeed, the "Hellcatraz" moniker was initiated during the island's military period. Union forces also used it as a prison, confining Confederate soldiers and Native Americans in the poorest of conditions. Prisoners' living conditions did not improve much when it became a federal penitentiary in 1934. Its prisoners were the worst of the worst criminals in captivity within the U.S.; however, many of Alcatraz's roughest characters were known to meekly weep in the faces of the resident ghosts and spirits.
There are several distinct haunted places within Alcatraz. For example, witnesses have reported hearing banjo music coming from the vicinity of Al Capone's cell. Ghosts have also been spotted proximate to where the warden's house used to stand, before it burned to the ground. Auditory and visual paranormal activity has also been experienced elsewhere in and around the former prison. However, the most intense episodes have been experienced in cell #14 within D-Block.
D-Block was where prisoners were sent when they misbehaved and were in need of "the treatment." For prisoners of D-Block, this entailed varying degrees of sensory deprivation for up to 48 hours. Cell 14-D was the darkest and dankest of all the cells in Alcatraz. As legend has it, the unpleasant cell was where numerous prisoners frantically complained of someone, or something, being in the cell with them. Prisoners describe the unwelcome cellmate as the presence of glowing, menacing eyes. One prisoner complained of the presence immediately following being closed in 14-D. He screamed for assistance for hours until his voice gave out, or so the guards thought. The prisoner was found dead the next morning, having been strangled.
Of course, it is more likely that a guard strangled the inmate, however the murder remains unsolved. More recently, witnesses have reported a drastic drop in temperature upon entering cell #14. Others have experienced a tingling sensation in their extremities while in the cell. As haunted places go, ghost seeking individuals are rarely disappointed when visiting the prison as a tourist.
Those who believe in paranormal activity suspect that occurrences may be tied to the suffering souls of a haunted place's past. Alcatraz certainly fits this theory. Every phase of the island's history is saturated with death, pain and fear. Those who wish to experience Alcatraz simply need to take a ferry to the island. "Hellcatraz" is now part of the National Park service, and tours of the prison are available. Visitors to Alcatraz should be prepared to be amazed by the musical styling of the late Al Capone on the banjo.
Sources:
Stefko, Jill. "Alcatraz: Ghosts & Haunted History." Suite101.com. 21 May 2007. 8 Nov. 2007. http://ghosts-hauntings.suite101.com/article.cfm/a lcatraz_ghosts_haunted_history.
Weiser, Kathy. "The History & Hauntings of Alcatraz: The Ghosts of Alcatraz." Legends of America: A Travel Site for the Nostalgic & Historic Minded. Oct. 2005. 8 Nov. 2007. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/CA-Alcatraz6.html.
Wlodarski, Anne & Rob. "Alcatraz." The Shadowlands: Famous Hauntings. 8 Nov. 2007. http://theshadowlands.net/famous/alcatraz.htm.
Featured Alcatraz Products:
