Those who go to Alcatraz in search of some kind of ghost or spirit are rarely disappointed. Alcatraz in on the top ten list of the most haunted places in America. It was originally known to the Native Americans that this was a place for evil spirits, therefore it was mostly avoided. It then became a military prison and the souls of the people who came to Alcatraz and never left are still able to be seen, heard and felt. Paranormal experts have all said that they felt extreme negative emotions.
Many deaths have occurred on the Island of Alcatraz. The first known deaths on the island happened when a landslide buried a team of laborers in 1857. On May 2, 1946, three inmates and two guards were killed during an escape attempt. It was by far the most horrific attempt since the prison had been built. An execution afterwards involving two other inmates who had tried to escape occurred afterwards.
On March 21, 1963 Attorney General Robert Kennedy officially closed Alcatraz. It later re-opened to the public in 1969. It is now maintained by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. To this day almost a million visitors come to see the prison.***
Now to get to the ghost stories. Hmmm, Where to start..
The Most haunted area is said to be cell block D, or Solitary confinement. Most people who have visited this part say that they got really strong vibrations and a sudden feeling on intensity. Most refuse to go alone. It gets far colder than normal and trying to wear a jacket will certainly not help. This area is also called The Hole. Aside from it being the coldest part of the place, it gets so dark in there that you cannot see anything but black. When the prison was still operational, a man, who was locked in cell block D, one night started screaming and carrying on about a thing with glowing green eyes in there with him. Because the guards in that area were known for telling tales about a man dressed in 1800s attire wandering the halls at night and then disappearing, his cries were ignored. In the morning he was found strangled to death. They were able to decipher that it was not self inflicted. Some think that it was the guards who were tired of hearing the mans screaming and carrying on, and others say it was the thing with glowing green eyes. No one knows for sure, but other people have reported seeing that thing on other occasions. The next day, after doing a line up of the prisoners, the guards counted one too many. When they went back to recount, they saw the body of the convict that was the victim of the tragedy the previous night and then he disappeared. Every guard and almost every convict at the time the prison was still open had experienced something out of the ordinary at one time or another. From sobbing and moaning sounds, to cold spots and bad smells, and even the thing with glowing eyes. At times a lighthouse that was once there is able to be seen along with a whistling sound and a green light and then would vanish into thin air.
In 1992, on an episode of Sightings Peter James, psychic investigator, was called to walk through and investigate the area. He reported hearing voices of former inmates being tortured, sensing unusual feelings of abuse and mistreatment. Others have reported feeling the same. Richard Senate was sent to spend the night at Alcatraz and chose Al Capones cell (Al Capone was the first celebrity to go into Alcatraz). During his stay he had heard marching footsteps and clanking metal. He also locked himself in cell 12-D because he had heard that an evil and persistent ghost is supposed to haunt. He said that it was very cold and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. A psychic picked up on dismembered bodies of uniformed men.
***To visit Alcatraz take a seat on the Red and White Fleet Ferry Service. For Reservations or other information please call 1-800-229-2784
