Alcatraz Island

“The Rock” housed America’s most dangerous criminals. Now it holds their restless spirits.

A History of Desperation

From 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was considered inescapable. Surrounded by frigid, shark-infested waters, it held the worst of the worst: Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, Robert Stroud (the “Birdman”). Many prisoners died within its walls—from violence, suicide, or failed escape attempts.

The Paranormal Reports

The Hole (D Block)

The solitary confinement cells, especially Cell 14D, are the epicenter of activity:

• Intense cold that defies temperature readings
• Prisoners in the 1940s reported a creature with glowing eyes
• One inmate was found strangled—officially “suicide” but handprints were on his neck
• Visitors report overwhelming feelings of dread and despair

Cell Block C

• Unexplained clanging and banging sounds
• Cell doors slamming shut by themselves
• Disembodied crying and moaning at night

The Utility Corridor

Where three inmates were shot during a 1946 escape attempt:

• Sounds of running footsteps
• Phantom gunshots
• Smoke with no source

Notable Encounters

Park rangers and night guards have reported:

• Voices in empty cellblocks
• Seeing figures in period clothing
• Sounds of the prison running as if still operational
• Banjo music (Al Capone played banjo obsessively)

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Alcatraz is now a national park and remains one of the most visited—and most haunted—landmarks in America.