Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California. It was formerly used as a military stockade and later as a maximum security prison. Today, the island is a historic site supervised by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. It is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Its name comes from the Spanish (and originally Arabic) word for the gannet, a kind of seabird.

Related Topics:
San Francisco Bay - California - Prison - National Park Service - Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Ferry - Fisherman's Wharf - National Historic Landmark - Spanish - Arabic - Gannet - Seabird

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It is home to the now abandoned prison, the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States, early military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools, a seabird colony, and unique views of the coastline.

Related Topics:
Prison - Lighthouse - West Coast of the United States - Fortification - Rock pool - Seabird

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