Trump Wants to Turn Alcatraz Into a Working Prison—but Here’s Why It’ll Remain a National Landmark

President Donald Trump had a busy Sunday evening on social media, announcing various plans he had for the country. One of his most discussed announcements was his intent to reopen and expand Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. This was obviously a surprising statement—partly because the prison is now an incredibly popular tourist destination. The island, located less than two miles off the coast of San Francisco, receives more than 1.4 million visitors each year, according to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

The history of Alcatraz is long: it was a military fort, then military prison, before being converted into a federal prison between 1934 and 1963. During that time, famous inmates like Al Capone, Whitey Bulger, and Machine Gun Kelly were all incarcerated at the facility. In the years since its closure, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Now, it is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which offers daily guided tours and exhibits for tourists.

But the site’s popularity isn’t the only reason Alcatraz won’t likely be turned back into a functioning prison any time soon, if ever. Alcatraz history expert and former park ranger John Marti told The San Francisco Chronicle that it would be basically impossible to turn the current structure into an operable prison, given its lack of water, sewage, and electricity.

“If the discussion is to rebuild the prison building to hold people, I don’t think that would be feasible,” Martin told The Chronicle. “It would have to be torn down and rebuilt.”

Not only would it require an entire pricey overhaul, but it would be very expensive to run the penitentiary once it is opened. Former National Park Service director Jon Jarvis told Politico that “it would be ridiculously expensive to operate as a prison.” One of the main reasons the prison was closed in 1963 was that the operating costs for Alcatraz were three times more expensive than other prisons to run, according to USA Today.

Then there’s the matter of the legal protections Alcatraz Island now has given its status as a National Landmark. It would be a long process that would involve Congress to alter Alcatraz’s status before any construction or renovations could occur.

In addition to the logistic and legal challenges of such a move, and Alcatraz’s ongoing popularity with tourists, there is also political opposition. State Senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat who represents San Francisco, was one of several politicians to speak out. “In addition to being deeply unhinged, this is an attack on the rule of law,” Wiener said in a post on Instagram. “Putting aside that Alcatraz is a museum & tourist attraction, this is both nuts & terrifying.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi echoed that sentiment, writing on X: “Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President’s proposal is not a serious one.”

Right now, Trump’s plans are a far, far stretch from becoming reality. If you plan on visiting Alcatraz, that’s still entirely possible. In fact, you should plan on booking your tickets in advance, as they tend to sell out. You can book tickets for the ferry ride to the island plus options for day, night, or behind the scenes tours, starting at around $50.

Everything else you need to know about the island can be found on the park service website at www.nps.gov/alca.