I remember when my husband and I went there in ‘83, it was a guided tour. He had explained that on occasion, ex-prisoners would occasionally would take the tour. When I asked why, thinking they wouldn’t want to be there, the tour guide said they wanted to see it from a different perspective, not as a prisoner. I thought that was fascinating, never even thinking of that.
Two years ago, my wife and I went there for my 50th birthday. This same time of year too, the first weekend of August. I couldn't believe how cold and windy it was. I'd been wanting to go there since I was 10. It did not disappoint.
I visited Alcatraz in 1986 when I was 12 years old. I remember thinking how cool and eerie it was, and even back then there was a sort of beauty in its decaying state. I need to make a return trip at some point being more learned and appreciative of history as I’ve gotten older. Thanks for taking us along on your tour. I really enjoyed this.
I was in the park service on alcatraz island from 1994-2018, all the signs I put up, 50% of the windows I installed,I did the repairs on the cell doors, concrete repair me,I was the first maintenance worker full time on the island, before me one guy one day a week,thanks you did a good job!
@@torquealleygarage at age 67 I now volunteer in a restoration shop, working on cars from 1924-75, this is my dream job, I still go out to alcatraz island to repair cell doors now and then. Thanks!
@@dogsense3773 that’s really cool! I am a young guy who owns a mechanic shop and revives classics and forgotten vehicles. I’m sure you’ve seen more of Alcatraz than most people could hope to!
You lucky dogs! Alcatraz is legit one of my favourite tourist attractions in the entire USA, and I’ve done a lot of them. Such an incredible place of history!! The night cruises are good too; very spooky.
@@Vizzini_ Is it really that haunted? I've watched tales from the cript and their was a family that went through their and heard all kinds of things while they were there
I loved visiting Alcatraz. I did so back in the mid 1980s. We went on an awesome guided tour back then and I bought a souvenir jail cell key. I don't recall being able to roam the island the way you guys did, though...
I went on that tour back in 2017 and it was amazing. They have a book store and one of the former prisoners was there, he wrote a book and was signing them. Very interesting. I love history and enjoyed it.
I met a former prisoner there in 1991 after he signed some of his books. We talked a little outside but my mind was all over the place I couldn't focus right. I brought up the riot there and he said, "Whoo, I was in the middle of it!" He appeared on PBS about the island as well.
Dude, all of your videos are amazing, but the city specific vacation type is $ and the formula that you have for filming different aspects each day is perfect! Please keep up the amazing work, we are all so grateful. You are a national treasure Sir.
Loving these vlogs so much.... always wanted to see Alcatraz. Also, it is nice having Natalie along! Great job, Adam....once again, you have taken me out of my drab little world for a while. Natalie, thanks for making me smile with your happiness.
Don Siegal's 1979 movie "Escape From Alcatraz" chronicled the escape of Frank Morris (played by Clint Eastwood) and his friends brothers Frank and Clarence Anglin. Excellent movie!
I went there many years ago, I want to say 1993 or so. Nothings changed, except the price lol did the voice tour and I loved that. Very interesting place. Thanks for bringing me back, Adam! Keep on being you! 👍❤️
I was SOOOO hoping Alcatraz was on your list of places to go. I LOVED my visit there and would absolutely do it again to see the things I didn't see the first time. Thank you for sharing your trip with us.
I don't know if you realize it or not, but the 3 guys that escaped from Alcatraz in '62 was depicted in a bigtime blockbuster movie in '79 starring Clint Eastwood. It was called "Escape From Alcatraz". If you haven't seen it, you don't know what you're missing! I took the self-guided tour this past April. Was an incredible experience, to say the least.
I LOVED LOVED this one!!! Thanks for going there and filming so much!! I really enjoyed how you showed the views and the shots of the Bay were beautiful
Now all of the below comments said, this was a great video! 👍 I've never been to San Francisco. The city has a retro classic look as well as a newer appeal. Or so it seems. Again I've never been there. One of my biggest regrets. Seeing this facility does give me some eerie vibes. Whenever you see these old closed down prisons you get that ghostly 👻 feel. Who lived there. Who worked there. How many people actually tried to escape, and did the ones who made it out actually make it to shore? That's also a scary thought, but the place itself is a architectural marvel. Very ominous look, foreboding, and again really kind of eerie. Still very cool look for those of us who can't make it there. Thank you for the opportunity to see this place.
Thank you so much for letting us visit with you. Al Capone’s cell was very fancy at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA. He had furniture there like a room in a house!
@@1990758 First of all, the boats were much smaller. Consequently, the number of people that were on the island wasn't nearly as large as what was reflected in this video. I was quite taken back by the large masses of people wandering about at one time. The tour was conducted by a Ranger of the U.S. Nat'l. Park Service. There were no self tours nor electronic devices available to use. Nothing really has been done to conserve the buildings as far as I could tell. Consequently, there appears to be a lot of deterioration and areas now being closed off to the public because of it. What I still find fascinating is the damage and graffiti that was done by the Native Americans during their occupation in the late 60s.
One of the things I love so much about your videos is not so much that you visit places I want to go, but that you sometimes talk about things I know nothing about which piques my curiosity and causes me to do further research. Today it was the Algin brothers. Such an incredibly interesting story! Thank you! Through your videos, I have learned a lot!
Lived in San Francisco for 26 years and took visitors to Alcatraz many times . Always amazed me how interesting it was ! During all that time we Never ran out of interesting places to see . thinks for bringing back many great memories with these videos !
Whoa! I just went to Alcatraz for the first time a few weeks ago. (I’m still gonna watch obviously) Can’t believe it took me this long honestly, living here for so long. Woulda been great to run into you up here! Hope you had fun, Adam! Always great work!
Many thanks to you and Natalie for taking us along with you to Alcatraz. Even though I live in So Calif I’ve never been there. It was fascinating, interesting and a bit haunting thinking of those that were there. I always look forward to your videos - thanks so much❤️
Was there in April, much less people then...I want to go back and do the night tour...hope you make a stop at the Winchester Mystery House- such a beautifully maintained home.
Did this tour many years ago! I thought I was going to die when they put a group of us in the solidary confinement cell that was total darkness. Awesome to see all the bullet holes still in the walls and some of the indian markings from when they were there.
Thanks for the trip. I would never be able to do all those steps and hills. Always wanted to go there and look around. So thanks for taking me there. This week's videos have been great.
I absolutely agree with you on that one 100% about the steps I definitely couldn't do it myself but have always wanted to go there and visit Alcatraz as well
Thanks for taking us along. Considering the deterioration of the place I don't think I have a desire to go since you did the walking for me. It seems so expensive. I sure have enjoyed this tour. I have only been there once, we only had one day, and the very last thing we did was ride the cable car and we had a wreck. They sent us affidavits to fill out a few months later. Keep em coming!
HEY ATW... I'M SORRY I AM SO LATE TO COMMENT, but I am still feeling sick from my recent doctor visit. I am blown away at the camera work demonstrated on today's Alcatraz vlog! You have captured the ambiance of the world's most famous prison. I know you have toured there before, but today's was something for posterity! Thank you! I lived minutes from there my whole life, but like Natalie, I always thought I would go "some other time" and never got the chance. TheDailyWoo RULES!!
Living in Scotland, apart from going to Orlando once every 3/4 years or so to the parks for 2 weeks, this seems like a pipe dream! But I'm determined, me my wife and our son will go to Alkatraz, see the Grand canyon, and tour New York.👍
Do it, Alcatraz and the Grand Canyon are must see spots! If you go to SF Yosemite national park is also worth a stop. The skywalk at the Grand Canyon is great, lots of great views and places to take pictures.
Wow❤️❤️👍🏻. You two are amazing, and very lucky to visit this place and San Francisco. Thank you for posting this wonderful, detailed, well explained tour of Alcatraz Island ❤️👍🏻🎥. I love how you showed us everything from the food menu’s, the posters of the escapees that were never caught nor found, and their cells with the dummy heads, Al Capon’s cell from a distance and my favorite the dining hall. Makes me think back to Clint Eastwood’s movie. Your video is very nice, and well detailed ❤️👍🏻.
I visited Alcatraz back in 2015 all the way from Holland. As a kid I watched Escape from Alcatraz over and over again! Visiting the Island was impressive! Most impressive!!
Great video, Adam! When I went a few years ago, you could go out into the recreation yard and sit on the steps. I sat on the same step that Clint Eastwood sat on in the movie Escape from Alcatraz. A very cool experience....
Oh Adam and Natalie, my grand mother used to live on one of the steepest hills of SF and I have been to Alcatraz once that I can remember. Born and raised here in Norcal. Anyway, it is so gloomy there, I live far away from there now and where it is hot.
I went on a school field trip back in '91 when I was 12. One of only a handful of times in my life I felt an odd, creepy feeling constantly. I loved it. But it definitely has some sort of energy going on that makes me wonder if any paranormal activity is going on. Hard to explain in words.
Thank you Adam. I went to the Rock back in March of 1987 for Spring Break. They were filming a movie called Six Against the Rock. So they had some of the cells made up which was cool. Also, it's funny that Alcatraz is free (since it's a National State Park), but you have to pay for the boat ride over. Thanks again.
I'm not shocked that a someone who grew up in San Francisco has not visited any of the tourist traps. I grew up close to Seattle and have never gone up the Space Needle.
I've been to it but can't bring myself to go up it..😳 I should try for the gift shop level.. but I don't want to accidentally get on the wrong elevator to the top...if that is possible?!
It was a very foggy cold morning when I was there also.. Seemed a bit eerie but I really wanted to go. A lot more areas are opened up than when I was there.. and more rusted out and dilapidated from decades ago. Wild to see it again. Thanks! I did step inside a cell but it was actually larger and brighter. They did let us look at the smaller row of solitary cells.. Solid metal doors and open bar windows to the outside on the wall across from them..higher up.. and no glass for a wind block. I haven't watched any of the movies or a documentary on the escapees in a very long time. But I thought one of the items of clothing was found.. like marked underwear over on the SF side? I'll have to look it up.
'You break the rules of society, they send you to prison, break the rules of prison, they send you to us'. ( escape from alcatraz). Brilliant vlog Adam, we'd love to visit alcatraz, say hi to Natalie for us, all the best from us here in the UK near Liverpool
great tour. I went to Alcatraz 7 years ago and was lucky enough to have a private tour of a few areas by one of the greeter when you get off the boat. We saw the Officers mess which is clad in cedar, the church, cinema ( all upstairs) and we were shown through some more areas as well as the gun deck above the main cell block. Even got to operate the cell doors with the handles.
Oh cool a night tour. That would be fun. Get the vibe of what it was like at night. Cold crisp air, dark sky and just the quiet ripple of the water all around. A full moon would set the mood lighting perfectly too
It’s so cool to finally see the johnson bar system! Kinda complicated to use as a newbie, but so fun to control the cells with one long bar. Fun fact, the Utah State Prison is the last active prison that still uses the old school jail cells!
There are more jail cells in America like alcatraz, I know I did the repairs on these doors from 1993-2018 and still do volunteer repairs on them now. Get my parts from San Antonio company
Went there in 2004 on a weekday. Not many there. Was nice and quiet. Lucky to have one of the park workers and historians show us around much of the island. Standing in solitare. You realize what darkness is. The rec yard had a strange energy to it as well. Few of the inmates still alive were signing books on the island. Unique day.
I lived in San Francisco for about 16years in the 80’s and 90’s. The only time I went to Alcatraz or rode the cable cars is when friends and family came to visit. It is alway cold and windy in San Francisco. Mark Twain once said, “The coldest winter I ever spent, was the summer I stayed in San Francisco.”
Back in the day going to Alcatraz was the worst thing that could happen to a person. Now people are paying 50 bucks a head to go there. The times they are a changing.
Actually among prisons or was pretty nice back then, why do u think Al Capone was there? He famously even played in a band there. I think places like the nearby Folsom or Pelican Bay are much much worse.
Great Films made in SF…… The Enforcer…. The Presidio… But In my opinion …”The Rock”….is a pretty great movie and Michael Bay’s best! With SF as the backdrop plus Nicholas Cage , Ed Harris, and Sean Connery!! Who Is pitch perfect as an aged Bond like character….. “Welcome to the Rock” I so thought Adam would say it… Great video!
the way how the the anglin brothers escaped was they waited around to a cave then waited until near midnight then waded to the docks and tied to the boat when it left at midnight to a waiting boat, there was a 2019 doc about it on history where the family actually wanted more info and the FBI helped , was a good doc, they proved the brothers were alive based on a 1976 photo of them in Brazil, one of the brothers read about how to do ropes and tie to things, most interesting
I may be saying something completely naive but I never realised how run down and in so much disrepair Alcatraz was/is. I understand why it’s not “done up” but still it’s a shame so much has been destroyed. Fascinating place and definitely somewhere on my bucket list. Thanks for a entertaining comprehensive tour. 👍
The moist air is a problem. It is very difficult and expensive for upkeep and it would not last long. It is just left to the elements for those reasons.
Thoroughly enjoy your videos. Commentary and editing is excellent. Just the right amount of info and visual accompaniment to capture each place that you visit. Feel like I am right there with you. Wonderful. Thank You!
