Attributed to the coronavirus pandemic, Alcatraz Island — the National Historic Landmark — was non-operational during the past five months. However, the partial reopening on Monday marked a halt to the five-month closure.
The National Park Service announced the reopening of Alcatraz Island after reopening different national parks under its control, including Muir Woods, Pinnacles, Yosemite, and many others.
However, the vintage penitentiary only reopened the outdoor areas. Visitors can browse The Alcatraz Gardens, Alcatraz Cruises’ ferry services, and San Francisco Bay vistas ornamented with pelicans.
Alcatraz Island, originally named La Isla de Los Alcatrace, means “The Island of the Pelicans”. It boasts a landscape well-stocked by rock pools and seabird colonies. “There are thousands of nesting birds out there. There are amazing views. There’s a lot to do,” Charles Strickfaden, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, said in a statement.
Reopening Of Alcatraz Island
Although the indoors are padlocked to visitors, the outdoors offers plenty, including Rose Garden, Eagle Plaza, trails presenting views of the Cell House, Recreation Yard, Building 64, Sally Port, Model Industries Building and, Warden’s House.
Itinerary to the indoor regions of the Island, such as the cell blocks, the theatre, and gift shop, will remain non-operational until San Francisco’s government designs safety measures that hold the capacity to permit other indoor museums’ reopening.
Followed by reopening, the Alcatraz Cruises now features only five ferry trips from Pier 33 San Francisco to Alcatraz Island, a number much fewer compared to the pre-covid phase. The ferries operate from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the last ferry returns at 4:40 p.m.
“There will be fewer visitors on the Island”, remarked Charles Strickfaden.
The number of daily visitors scoring up to 5000-6000 has now come to to 750. This is in an attempt to avoid exacerbation of the spread of the coronavirus.
