As work continues on the temporary migrant detention center in Florida referred to as Alligator Alcatraz − being built on land in the Everglades (Big Cypress National Preserve) − this is a good time for a history lesson.
This history lesson is about the other Alcatraz, located 3,056 miles from the Everglades and the place that once was a high-security federal penitentiary that housed some of American’s most notorious criminals. Today, it’s a popular tourist destination with a gift shop at the dock inside the cellhouse and guided tours.
More: Where is Alligator Alcatraz? Maps show how remote detention center is in Florida Everglades
It doesn’t have alligators or snakes. But it does have sharks swimming around in the water that surrounds what has been famously referred to as “The Rock.”
What to know about Alcatraz Prison: the basics
Where is it: San Francisco Bay (built on Alcatraz Island)
When was it a maximum security prison: From 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz was known as the toughest federal prison, designed to house the “worst of the worst” criminals.
Who were some of the famous inmates: According to the National Park Service website, among the prison’s most notorious residents were Al “Scarface” Capone, brutal kingpin of the Chicago underworld during the Roaring Twenties; kidnapper George “Machine Gun” Kelly; bank robber Floyd Hamilton, an accomplice of Bonnie and Clyde; Arthur “Doc” Barker and Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, a member of the infamous Ma Barker Gang; Roy Gardner, last of the “Old West” train robbers; “Bumpy” Johnson, the Godfather of Harlem; Morton Sobell, convicted in the Rosenberg espionage case; and Robert “Birdman” Stroud.
More: Historic Everglades Jetport photos show ‘what could have been’ before Alligator Alcatraz
How to get there: To reach Alcatraz Island, you must take an official ferry operated by Alcatraz City Cruises. Ferries depart from Pier 33, also known as Alcatraz Landing, located on The Embarcadero in San Francisco. Tickets must be purchased in advance, as they often sell out, especially during peak season. You can purchase tickets online, by phone, or in person at the Pier 33 ticket booth.
Hollywood loves Alcatraz
Several films have been made about Alcatraz, both before and after the prison’s closure:
“Birdman of Alcatraz” (1962) tells the story of Robert Stroud, a real-life inmate known as the “Birdman”, before the prison’s closure.
Other notable films include “The Rock” (1996), which involves a threat to San Francisco from Alcatraz, and “Point Blank” (1967), one of the first movies to film on Alcatraz after its closure.
Where does the name Alcatraz come from?
According to History.com, before criminals became its denizens, the windswept island was home to large colonies of brown pelicans. When Spanish Lieutenant Juan Manuel de Ayala became the first known European to sail through the Golden Gate in 1775, he christened the rocky outcrop “La Isla de los Alcatraces,” meaning “Island of the Pelicans.” The name eventually became Anglicized to “Alcatraz.” With the inmates gone, gulls and cormorants are now the most plentiful inhabitants of Alcatraz.
Alcatraz: Did you know?
People gather in front of the access road into the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport to protest the construction of an immigrant detention center in the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area on Saturday, June 28, 2025. The demonstration was led by Betty Osceola, an activist and a Miccosukee tribe member. A steady stream of trucks were seen going into the location. The location is being referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Ironically, Alcatraz Island, where the famous prison is located, is a National Park. The Alligator Alcatraz immigrant detention center being build is also in a National Park − Everglades National Park.
Could Alcatraz be used as a prison again?
Recently, President Donald Trump floated the idea to use the aging facilities to house detained immigrants. “When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
About those sharks at Alcatraz
San Francisco Bay does have sharks, including Great Whites, but they are not typically found in the shallow, murky waters near Alcatraz and are more common in the deeper, clearer waters further out. The most common shark species in the bay is the Leopard shark, which is relatively harmless to humans.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Alligator Alcatraz: Migrant detention center unlike famous prison