When you think about Alcatraz, sitting in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, you probably think about the iconic prison that housed some of the country’s most notorious prisoners. It stands out in every postcard, situated on top of a hill on this tiny 22-acre island. 

But Alcatraz has many more buildings besides the cellhouse where prisoners lived. Some are accessible to the public. Others are in ruins, making for some atmospheric photos. In recent years, park officials have also restored several historic Alcatraz buildings, many of which have been damaged by salt air corrosion.

The buildings and other structures that stand today reflect the island’s history and its many lives as a fortress, military prison, federal penitentiary, protest site and a national park. You can learn more fascinating bits of Alcatraz’s storied past by visiting these dozen or so structures and ruins. 

Here’s the complete list of the historic buildings you can see today on Alcatraz Island.

1. Cellhouse

Credit: Marnette Federis

I’ve got to start this list with the infamous cellhouse that every tourist is keen to visit when they arrive on the island.

The reinforced concrete, three-story building you see today was created in 1912, built on top of what used to be the island’s fort. Construction on the building began in 1908 once the island became an official military prison. During that time, the facility saw anywhere between 200 to 600 prisoners. 

When the prison was transferred to the Department of Justice, the building underwent remodeling to prepare for the incoming federal prisoners. The cellhouse consists of an administration wing, four cell blocks, a hospital wing and a dining room area. A recreation yard is attached to the cellhouse. 

Pro tip: The best way to learn more and explore the cellhouse is through the park’s audio tour, including with your ticket to the island.

2. Guard Tower

Guard towers and catwalks were built in the 1930s once Alcatraz started operating as a federal prison. One tower overlooking the island’s dock still stands today and is one of the first structures you’ll see when arriving at Alcatraz. 

Fun fact: The dock guard tower was repaired and repainted in 2013 as part of a larger restoration effort.

3. The barracks aka Building 64

Credit: Gary Bembridge / CC BY 2.0

Building 64 is the first notable building you’ll see after getting off the ferry and setting foot on Alcatraz. One of the oldest structures on the island, the building has lived through the many versions of Alcatraz — from fortress to military prison and federal prison to national park. The original bombproof structure on the ground floor housed cannons and soldiers when Alcatraz was fortified to protect the San Francisco Bay. 

The structure still features large square windows meant to be cannon ports. Barracks were built in the 1860s on top of the fortified structure when the island became a military prison to house the guards. In 1905, the open barracks were enclosed and divided into apartments, creating a three-story apartment building that would house correctional officers and their family members. 

Today, the bookstore, theater and an exhibit space occupy the bottom part of the building.

4. Sally Port and Guardhouse

Credit: Cifraser1 / CC BY 2.0

Go past Building 64, and you’ll walk through what used to be the Sally Port and Guardhouse complex. Built in 1857, this is one of the oldest structures on the island. 

It was meant to defend the fort atop the hill with a moat, gun ports, and artillery. But this defensive equipment was never used. The Guardhouse later served as a prison for Army soldiers accused of various crimes. Other military prisoners were also held there until officials expanded prison facilities at the island’s summit. The Guardhouse structure was also used as a library, theater, chapel, and schoolhouse.

5. Officer’s Club

One of the picturesque ruins you’ll find on Alcatraz is the Officer’s Club or Social Hall. 

In the early 1900s, when Alcatraz was a military prison, the building was used as a post exchange, which included a general store, cafeteria, barbershop, and post office. 

When the military transferred the island to the Department of Justice, the building became known as the “Social Hall” or recreation center. It was the social center for staff and their family living on the island and served as a venue for events, meetings, celebrations, and holiday parties. 

Activities inside the building, including pool tables and bowling alley lanes, made it a favorite hangout spot for teens. For safety reasons, the Social Hall only opened at night — when prisoners were locked in their cells and accounted for. 

Why is it in ruins now? During the Native American occupation in 1970, the building caught fire, leaving only a burned-out shell.

6. Warden’s House

Credit: Adam Kliczek / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Built in the 1920s, the Warden’s House is a massive structure right next to the infamous cellhouse. It’s not so much a house but a mansion. 

Official National Park Service information says the building featured three floors and 15 rooms, but other sources have stated that the building once had as many as 17 rooms. 

This former home of the commandant of the military prison, which boasts a phenomenal view of the San Francisco skyline, later housed four wardens who oversaw the federal prison. The house burned during the Native American occupation between 1969 and 1971, and park officials have had to do extensive work to preserve what’s left of the historic structure. If you’re visiting during spring, you can enjoy beautiful blooms in the gardens next to the Warden’s House.

7. Model Industries Building and New Industries Building

Both of these buildings were used for prison retraining and development. The Model Industries Building was built first in 1921. The three-story building at the edge of the island’s cliff featured a blacksmith shop, plumber’s shop, band practice room, a vocational school, and more for the military prisoners. It was also used as a laundry for military personnel stationed across the Bay. 

When the Bureau of Prisons took over, officials were unhappy with the building’s layout and lack of security. So they built the New Industries Building in 1939 and moved the laundry operations there. 

Incarcerated men on Alcatraz worked inside the New Industries Building, manufacturing mats from old rubber tires, crafting furniture, and producing brushes, clothing, and gloves. During World War II, the men made cargo nets for the U.S. Navy and repaired steel flotation buoys for anti-submarine nets in the Bay. 

The New Industries Building is used as an exhibit space today and is open for a few hours a day (check the dock schedule once you land) for more information.

8. Powerplant and Quartermaster Warehouse

These two buildings were essential to the function of Alcatraz as a military prison and federal penitentiary. Because of this, prisoners were mainly kept out of this area — unlike other facilities, where prisoners were often working. 

• The Power Plant, built in 1912, provided electricity and kept water pumps running throughout the island’s facilities.

• The Quartermaster Warehouse, built in 1921, featured the office of the Post Quartermaster, the person responsible for the island’s maintenance and supplies. 

The four-level warehouse also served as storage and, during the military prison years, was the location of the commissary. When Alcatraz became a federal prison, the warehouse maintained many of the same functions (minus the commissary) and became an office, storage and workshop space (for equipment repairs). 

You’ll notice “ALCATRAZ” painted on the roof with an arrow pointing north. This was a helpful point of reference for aviators back in the day as they navigated the bay area.

The building is the site of graffiti and paintings from the American Indian Movement occupation from 1969 to 1971. When the warehouse underwent renovations and restoration in 2016-2017, the workers went to great lengths to preserve the paintings. These buildings are not open to the public, but park officials encourage visitors to look at the exterior walls and the paintings. 

Fun fact: The side of the building facing the water is also an area where protected birds nest.

9. Water tower

One of the tallest structures on the island, the water tower is one of the more noticeable features when you’re riding to the island from the ferry. Built in 1940, the tower stored the island’s only water source, used for the prisoners’ drinking water and laundry operations and as water reserves in case of fires. 

Activists painted political messages on the tower during the Native American occupation of Alcatraz from 1969 through 1971. When the water tower underwent restoration from 2011 to 2012, park officials invited family members of Richard Oakes, a leader and key figure of the occupation, to recreate the writings.

10. Lighthouse

The island’s original lighthouse was built in 1854 as part of the citadel complex on the island’s summit. It was the first lighthouse on the West Coast and helped vessels navigate the bay. After the construction of the cellhouse, a newer, 95-foot-tall lighthouse structure was built in 1909. That newer lighthouse became automated with a modern beacon in 1963, the same year the federal prison closed.

11. Military chapel

Built in the 1920s, the military chapel was an additional building constructed atop the Guardhouse. You’ll notice its mission-revival architectural style while walking up the road to the cellhouse. 

The building served as living quarters for military personnel and their families as well as a school and chapel. When Alcatraz became a federal prison, the whole building became living quarters for prison staff, especially those who were unmarried and didn’t have families. It eventually became known as the “Bachelor’s Quarters” for this very reason.

Explore Alcatraz

There’s so much more to explore on Alcatraz, from the gardens to the birds to the buildings to the exhibits. The only way to experience it for yourself is to take a tour!

Join any of our guided tours and you’ll get to take a cruise at the end to this historic and fascinating island. We can’t wait to show you the best of the San Francisco Bay!

Why Alcatraz is great for birding

The Rock is famous for the harsh, rugged landscape that made it the perfect place to put one of the most draconian prisons ever built in the history of the United States.

But its isolation, coupled with the relative closeness to the mainland that made the prison particularly agonizing for prisoners and staff who lived there, is part of what makes it so perfect for birds.

They don’t have to travel far to forage for food for themselves or their young. At the same time, there are no mammalian predators there, and humans are only allowed in specific parts of the island at specific times, so it’s a very safe place for even the smallest songbirds, such as warblers and song sparrows.

On the island, you can see so many different kinds of birds. Here are just a handful:

• cormorants
• sparrows
• herons
• egrets
• gulls
• pigeons
• falcons
• ravens

When I went to Alcatraz for the first time, my daughter, who was 7 years old at the time, ended up feeling a little overwhelmed inside the penitentiary from all of the crowds and the sounds reverberating off of the concrete walls. We stepped outside to get some fresh air and found there was much more to Alcatraz than we had first realized as bird after bird grabbed our attention.

Both of us being nature lovers, we ended up spending more time outside wandering the grounds and exploring the tide pools than indoors at the main attraction. We left wanting to know more about the beautiful creatures that make the island their home today, so we made a plan to return soon — this time, with binoculars.

After a little research, I realized that Alcatraz is a world-famous hotspot not only for travel influencers and history fans, but also for birders. There are birds there that you won’t see anywhere else in California, and many of the seabirds that live there normally only make their homes on offshore rocks, meaning they’re generally out of reach for most nature lovers, unless you happen to have a boat.

Taking a trip to Alcatraz to explore the wildlife means you’ll be able to see the nesting, mating, and family behaviors of thousands of birds who make The Rock their home, no personal yacht required.

It’s also a gorgeous place to spend the day if you enjoy nature in general and want the opportunity to explore a unique ecosystem that’s off the beaten path.

Either way, you can find lots to see and do on The Rock that is surrounded by sea and salt, rather than prison walls.

The bird history of Alcatraz

The name “Alcatraz” actually comes from the island’s deep history as a safe haven for birds. When the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala first visited the island in 1770, he dubbed it “Isle de los Alcatraces,” or “Islands of the Seabirds,” inspired by the abundant avian life he found there.

Over the next several decades, it continued to be called “Island of the Birds” or “White Island,” referring to the plumage of pelicans and western gulls that were so abundant there. Eventually, the island became known as Alcatraz.

While Alcatraz was being used as a military base and prison, birds were rarely seen and tended not to nest or migrate there. After the prison closed, however, the island sat quiet and mostly untouched for nearly a full decade. During that time, birds that had not been seen for over a century began flocking back to its rocky shores.

Where to spot birds on Alcatraz

Even before you get off the ferry, you’ll begin to get hints of what awaits you, as large numbers of gulls and cormorants tend to be active in the sea surrounding the island.

The gulls will continue to be your companions almost everywhere on Alcatraz, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the notorious prison as they perch on just about every structure. Their favorite place tends to be the lighthouse, though, or just beneath it, which is where they nest.

Near the dock, you might get a glimpse of great blue herons nesting in Alcatraz’s biggest eucalyptus tree, which sits above the Alcatraz Rose Garden. The great blue herons are one of The Rock’s many avian success stories, growing from only a handful of active nests before 2016 to over a dozen today.

Nearby, you may be able to spot a black-crowned night-heron (which, if you haven’t seen one, is just as spooky looking as it sounds) on the heavily overgrown wall above the amphitheater. These birds, as well as their close cousin the snowy egret, were hunted almost to extinction in the early 1900s.

Both have found sanctuary here on Alcatraz for the past several decades, helping to bolster their numbers throughout the Bay Area. They build their nests in the shrubs, trees, and bushes throughout the island, but you’re most likely to see them near the amphitheater, or along the island’s west road (when it’s open — more on that in just a moment).

Heading up the road towards the cell house is where you’ll find many of the smallest and cutest feathered friends on the island, including the white-crowned sparrow, song sparrow, black phoebe, Anna’s hummingbirds, yellow-rumped warblers, and Townsend’s warblers. Many of these smaller birds tend to be more common in fall and winter.

You will also probably see ravens roosting about and peering down their long beaks at you, fitting the general theme of the island.

Unique bird species on Alcatraz

Alcatraz is the only breeding colony site in the San Francisco Bay for several types of cormorant, including the Brandt’s cormorant, which is an iridescent black bird with a bright blue throat patch that they like to show off by pointing their beaks up to the sky (it’s a courtship thing).

These birds make their home on the rocky western shore of the island, where you’ll also have a chance to see black oystercatchers, egrets, and herons — and to snap shots of the gorgeous view of Baker Beach across the water.

The past several years have given visitors to Alcatraz the epic experience of seeing as many as 3,300 breeding pairs of these elusive birds, who spend most of their lives far out at sea, diving deep into the ocean to hunt and eat. They head to the island in early February, which is when the National Park Service closes down this part of the island, giving them the best opportunity to hatch and raise their young as possible before migrating later in the summer.

Local tip: If you happen to be on Alcatraz during the Brandt’s cormorant breeding season from February to June, don’t despair. Even when the west part of the island is closed, you’ll likely be able to get a glimpse of these birds from the overlook above the parade grounds.

The west side of the island is also where you’re most likely to see the two birds of prey who make their home on The Rock: the tiny burrowing owl and the majestic peregrine falcon.

This part of the island is best accessed by the Agave Trail, which starts just south of the ferry dock and goes along the base of a steep hillside that features four different agave species. The trail is only open between late September and early February, which is exactly when you want to go, both to take advantage of the most fog-free weather of the year in the Bay and because it’s when you’re most likely to see teeny burrowing owls bobbing up and down from within the rubble scattered across the parade grounds. These small survivors, designated as a “species of special concern” in California, have been pushed out of much of their original habitat across the state, so finding solace on Alcatraz has been particularly important.

The sanctuary of the island has also been particularly important for peregrine falcons, who were nearly driven to extinction in the 1970s because of the impact that the pesticide DDT had on them (this is actually what led to the banning of DDT nationwide).

They rebounded slowly, coming off the endangered species list in the 1990s, and today make their homes across California and the rest of the country in rocky outcroppings, usually far away from humans and often at very high elevations.

Over the past several years, however, Alcatraz has been home to a special peregrine falcon named Larry — short for Lawrencium — who hatched in the UC Berkeley bell tower, just across the Bay. Larry eventually found a mate, and began breeding on Alcatraz in 2020. She has had at least three clutches of baby falcons in that time, with the newest batch, born in April 2024, going on to become mini-influencers, starring in their own livestream on the National Park Services website so that you see them up-close any hour of the day.

But for an even more personal experience, try spotting Larry in her own neighborhood. Just don’t blink — like all peregrine falcons, she and her mate can fly over 200 miles per hour.

Tour Alcatraz Island and more

There are many reasons that Alcatraz Island makes it on every “top things to do in San Francisco” list. In fact, it’s regularly rated by Tripadvisor travelers as one of the top landmarks in the country. (It’s been No. 1 multiple times and most recently came in fifth in 2023.)

The natural beauty you’ll experience here is just one aspect of this not-to-be-missed northern part of the city, which also includes Ghirardelli Square and Fisherman’s Wharf. There’s no better way to experience it all than with the guidance of a local, which you can do — including taking the ferry to Alcatraz — as part of our walking tour.

Your local tour guide is a great resource for learning more about SF, and your tour ticket includes a cruise to the island with an audio guide from the National Park Service telling all about the island’s fascinating history.

And remember, whenever you choose to visit, be sure to save time to hike around and explore the wildlife that shelters on the island — there’s really no other place like it.

Alcatraz Island is famous for the harsh, rugged landscape that inspired the construction of one of the most notorious prisons ever constructed. But less well-known is that even with the incredibly inhospitable terrain, a not-to-be-missed aspect of the Rock are the gorgeous gardens that have been cultivated there for over a hundred years– a fascinating and beautiful remnant from bygone days.

Today, among the thousands of people who come every year to visit this National Historic Landmark, many make it a special point to see the gardens, which were recently restored after 40 years of neglect in 2003, and have their own story to tell about the resilience and ingenuity of both nature and the human spirit.

Want to see the Alcatraz gardens? Curious when is the best season to visit, what wildlife you might be able to spot, or how to plan your visit? Keep reading. I’ll cover all that and more in this post.

Why are there gardens on Alcatraz?

The Alcatraz gardens were tended first by the military wives of the officers stationed there, who were cut off from San Francisco’s bustling gold rush era social scene by the turbulent waters of the Bay. Laer, they were tended by the staff and inmates of the prison. These gardens, filled with roses, herbs, fruit trees and carefree wildflowers, were small but powerful beacons of hope and sunshine in a place well-known for being stark and grim.

The gardens of Alcatraz are made up of seven unique parcels, scattered across the Rock like a patchwork quilt overlaying the concrete and barbed wire remains of the fortress-like penitentiary.

The same conditions that made the prison formidable for the inmates once held there — the steep cliffs, the rocky, uneven terrain, the cold, salty wind, the unyielding fog and mist — make it an unlikely place for most of the plants we think of as “garden plants” to thrive.

And yet, here we are today — with beautiful gardens on Alcatraz.

Through the work of countless hands over many generations, from the convicts of Al Capone’s era to the volunteers who tend the terraced gardens now, this island has become a place of improbable beauty and a safe haven for wildlife.

When to visit Alcatraz Gardens and what to see

There really isn’t a bad time to visit the Gardens of Alcatraz.

In spring, the Officers’ Row and Warden’s Gardens will enchant you with the scent of pink nicotiana, paperwhites, and plush purple irises. While your friends are posting yet another super-bloom photo surrounded by endless California Poppies, you can one-up them with snaps of terracotta and gold calendulas, spires of foxglove, and sweet peas that feel like they come right out of a fairytale, instead of a prison.

In summer, in addition to the bounty of blooms you’ll see in the Rose Terrace, you’ll find the magenta and pink petals of four different types of fuchsia scattered around the island.

Local tip: Don’t miss the birdbath area in the Prisoner’s Garden, where you may stumble upon a carmine and emerald Anna’s hummingbird, drawn in by the nectar of pineapple sage, frilly geraniums, and vintage ‘Bowles Mauve’ wallflowers.

Then in autumn, the summer crowds die down. The temperature cools, and you’ll be able to walk among apple and walnut trees beginning to bear fruit, surrounded by the milk-and-honey tufts of blooming coyote bush and plum-perfect dahlias. Many of these trees are over 100 years old.

You can also take part in the annual Thanksgiving Day events on Alcatraz Island, which have deep roots in the Native American civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

Winter might not seem like the best time to visit Alcatraz, but if you’re willing to brave the bracing cold winds, you’ll find that this one of the few times of the year that the seemingly-omnipresent San Francisco Bay fog completely disappears, guaranteeing you gorgeous views of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the city skyline from the island.

It’s also the only time of year you can hike the little-known Alcatraz Agave trail, which begins just south of the ferry dock and is only open September through February. The spiky succulents which give this little-known trail its name tower over 40-feet tall, and have an interesting historical element of their own — they were planted in 1930s and ’40s by prison guards and their families both for their stately beauty, and as a way of keeping would-be accomplices of potential escapees from landing boats on the shores of the island.

Tour Alcatraz Island and more

Alcatraz Island is one aspect of the seedy underbelly of San Francisco’s history, which also includes the red-light district known as the Barbary Coast Trail and the wild escapades of the Gold Rush Boom.

The entire waterfront of the city has a rich and colorful history, from the small stalls of seafood that sailors have kept stocked with dungeness crab and salmon for generations to the once tiny chocolaterie that eventually became known as Ghirardelli Square. You can see all of this and take the ferry to Alcatraz as part of our walking tour.

The lost roses of Alcatraz

Credit: Salicyna / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

The most beloved of the seven gardens on Alcatraz is probably the Rose Terrace.

Whether you’re a budding rosarian, a history buff, or simply want to take cool photos for your Instagram feed, you’ll want to make it a point to visit in summer. This is when the roses put on their best display and when you can see the rich crimson bloom of ‘Bardou Job’ — a rose thought to be extinct until it was found among the weeds and blackberry brambles on Alcatraz Island.

‘Bardou Job’ is still among the rarest of about 100,000 known rose varieties, but it isn’t the only rare, historic rose on the Rock.

Today over 30 varieties of antique roses are cultivated in the Alcatraz Gardens, from ramblers such as ‘Russeliana,’ first introduced on the island in 1837 and still thriving today, to the sumptuous tea rose the color of a mango lassi, ‘Buff Beauty.’ The seasonal flower show begins in May and continues for months, until mid-autumn or longer, depending on the weather.

Over a dozen of the roses on the Rose Terrace and spread throughout the Alcatraz Gardens are what are known as “survivor plants.” These are plants originally grown by the wives of military officers in the late 1800s or by staff or inmates of the prison before it was closed in 1962. They somehow survived until 2003, when the Garden Conservancy began restoring the gardens.

Enjoy your visit to Alcatraz

While strolling through the gardens of Alcatraz, it’s tempting to overlook the island’s dark history — the long years of confinement, the ongoing struggle for justice. However, each era of its past is mirrored in the gardens, like the Prisoners’ Garden with fruit and food and the meticulously maintained cutting-flower beds tended by military wives.

Today, Alcatraz is a blend of these varied histories, where remnants from the past converge among the weathered brick ruins and rugged sandstone, lovingly preserved by garden volunteers today.

Curious about the details of getting to Alcatraz and how to get the most out of your visit there? Your SF tour guide is a great resource for learning more about Alcatraz Island and the surrounding area, and your tour ticket includes a cruise to the island with an audio guide from the National Park Service telling all about the island’s fascinating history.

And remember, whenever you choose to visit, be sure to save time to explore the beautiful Alcatraz gardens.