Alcatraz Island

The Alcatraz Island is another one of San Francisco's most famous landmarks. The island served as a federal prison for the worst of criminals in the country around the 1930s to 1960s and today is a major tourist attraction.

If you're a Hollywood movie buff, there is a very good chance that you have heard of or know about Alcatraz. It has been featured in several films since it ceased to be a prison, the most popular of which are Sean Connery's 'The Rock' and Clint Eastwood's 'Escape from Alcatraz'. The island was used as a military garrison and prison in the 19th century and it's location as a secure military fortification was an influential reason in the establishment of a federal prison. Today, tours of the prison and the island are at the top of every San Francisco itinerary, educating you about the hundreds of terrifying criminals that have stayed inside the walls of, as it is often called, the Rock. As a contrast to this otherwise sobering aspect of the prison, the island is planted with several different species of colourful flowers like roses and geraniums, accompanied by many trees and little bushes of berries. It's natural landscape also provides habitat to numerous animals and birds as well.