Photos by Carla Babb and Ryan Newell
Alcatraz
![Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including Muir Woods and the Golden Gate Bridge. (Photos by Carla Babb and Ryan Newell)](https://gdb.voanews.com/4e3baff3-d3df-4fba-b6bd-a94f957ea49a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including Muir Woods and the Golden Gate Bridge. (Photos by Carla Babb and Ryan Newell)
![The prison greeted approaching ships with a threat: "Persons procuring or concealing escape of prisoners are subject to prosecution and imprisonment."](https://gdb.voanews.com/fe3b2e9c-90e1-4e78-a42b-9033f73f4b99_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The prison greeted approaching ships with a threat: "Persons procuring or concealing escape of prisoners are subject to prosecution and imprisonment."
![The Rock sits about 2.5 kilometers away from San Francisco. Part of the Rock is closed each year from February to September for bird breeding season.](https://gdb.voanews.com/728f7f00-e9be-432e-a973-e3749e7fa0b8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The Rock sits about 2.5 kilometers away from San Francisco. Part of the Rock is closed each year from February to September for bird breeding season.
![Before it was a prison, Alcatraz was known for housing the first lighthouse and US-built fort on the West Coast to protect San Francisco during the gold rush.](https://gdb.voanews.com/9e0bbb96-e733-4f2c-9a68-f37b17057845_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Before it was a prison, Alcatraz was known for housing the first lighthouse and US-built fort on the West Coast to protect San Francisco during the gold rush.