The very first people to set foot on Alcatraz were American Indians.  In 1850, congress budgeted $120,000 to build a lighthouse.  It began service on June 1, 1854.

The very first time that Alcatraz was a prison was in 1861 during the Civil War.  The first warden was James A. Johnston.  Prisoners from the war woke up at a dreadful 5:00 a.m.  Life wasn’t good for them.  They had to work 24/7.

The first batch of prisoners was sent over in the summer of 1934.  Inmates started their day at 6:30 a.m.  They had 20 minutes to tidy up themselves and their cell.  6:50 was the start of breakfast.  They also had only 20 minutes to eat along with no conversation during the meal.  The other two meals during the day were served at 11:40 and 4:25.  The lights and cells were shut down at 9:30.  Alcatraz was no longer a prison as of 1963.  The prison was active from 1934 to 1963, a total of 29 years. 

Starting at 1973, Alcatraz has been a major tourist attraction.  People can go through and take pictures, listen to an automated tour (on tape), and read all of the interesting facts located throughout the prison.