Guest Blog Post – Steve Mahoney
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A final, special event took place on Alcatraz Island on August 12, 2018. This was the last reunion gathering of the Alcatraz Alumni Association. The tradition was started before the prison closed and continued both on and off the Island up until now. There were a few years after the prison closed where “gatherings” were more local because many of the guards went to other prisons across the nation. Former prisoners only joined events in recent decades when this more recently became a possibility.

Alumni Weekend was initially more for actual Alcatraz alumni to have a reunion to rekindle friendships and share memories from our time on the Island. Decades ago, the National Park Service started having alumni speak to the public, sharing stories of their lives on The Rock. For a long time, the reunion has been held on the second Sunday in August and has gone from a simple affair where alumni brought food as well as sleeping bags for those who would spend the night on Alcatraz to a larger event with support from many groups like the National Park Service, Golden Gate Parks Conservancy, the Alumni and others with interest in Alcatraz and its history.

This year was the last time alumni’s “Fading Voices,” with the guards and family members shared their living history memories. The stories have always been rich and made stronger when told on Alcatraz Island. This event, the final one of its kind was a tough one for many as the number of living guards, former inmates and family members who lived on the Island fade more and more each year.

Those fortunate enough to have attended this year witnessed something special as we alumni shared our thoughts and memories from this special place, Alcatraz, The Rock, the prison and the place we once called home.

Tour the Rock

Alcatraz City Cruises offers day tours where you can step back in time during the Alcatraz Island Day Tour and experience the legendary Island that has been a Civil War fort, a military prison and one of the most notorious Federal penitentiaries in US history.

Another way to experience Alcatraz is through an evening tour. Experience the many moods of Alcatraz Island with an evening visit. Enjoy the beauty of a sunset silhouetting the Golden Gate Bridge, experience a cell door demonstration, and hear compelling stories about the Island’s history and residents. Evening talks by Island expert historians are offered on a variety of topics and change every night.

Discover areas not otherwise available to the public!  Join a group of 30 people or fewer on a guided 4-5 hour adventure to explore off-limits areas and hear little-known-stories about the Island’s fascinating past with an Alcatraz Behind the Scenes Tour.

Original Post Date: August 15, 2018