Structural Upgrades for Alcatraz Prison Hospital Wing

View of west side of main prison building and lighthouse.

NPS Photo

A rehabilitation project to correct seismic structural deficiencies of Alcatraz’s Main Prison Building will be funded by approximately $63.6 million from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). Alcatraz Island was a federal penitentiary until it closed in the 1963. It became an important and popular site within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1972.

The Main Prison Building, a contributing structure to the Alcatraz Island National Historic Landmark District, is composed of the central Cellhouse, a Hospital Wing and Administration Wing. It was an early example of reinforced concrete design and was constructed between 1909-1912. The Cellhouse has under-gone two phases of seismic upgrades and structural rehabilitation. The Hospital Wing, partially upgraded by work completed in 2021, houses the elevator used for building access. The top two levels of the Hospital Wing are part of the recorded Cellhouse Audio Tour. The majority of the island’s 1.4 million annual visitors pass through the ground level entry to/egress from the Hospital Wing where the concessioner operated Museum Store also is located.

The project will focus on the Hospital Wing and exterior walls. Project components include:

• Strengthening the shear wall at the north end of the Hospital Wing and the basement level walls of the shower room and Hospital Wing.
• Replacing deteriorated steel reinforcement.
• Strengthening unreinforced concrete foundation walls.
• Repairing concrete spalling.

The project will abate hazardous materials in the exterior walls and interior construction areas and repair and stabilize exterior windows, install storm windows, apply an elastomeric coating on the concrete walls, and repair finishes to match the existing color and texture of adjacent surfaces. The completed project will increase the building's ability to resist seismic forces, correct aging and weather-related impacts to the exterior walls, preserve the National Historic Landmark District Prison building and provide a safe long-term facility visited by over 1.4 million people annually.

Alcatraz Island hospital wing of prison cellhouse.

NPS Photo

Project at a Glance:

This project will complete seismic upgrades to the Alcatraz Prison Hospital Wing and stabilize and correct aging and weather-related impacts to the exterior walls of the Prison. The project will replace deteriorated steel reinforcement, strengthen unreinforced concrete foundation walls, repair concrete spalling and restore the surfaces to meet historic preservation standards. Completed work will provide a safe long-term facility for 1.4 million annual visitors, concessions, and park staff.

Completed exterior wall repairs adjacent to walls to be repaired in this project.

NPS Photo

What are the Benefits:

• Seismic upgrades that achieve code compliance increase the seismic resiliency of the Alcatraz Prison Hospital Wing and improve safety.
• Structural rehabilitation protects over 1.4 million annual visitors, concession and park staff from the safety hazards created by spalling concrete and peeling lead paint.
• Restoring the aging and weather-related impacts to the Alcatraz Prison exterior walls in accordance with historic preservation standards protects the long-term integrity of the historic National Landmark District Prison.
• Strengthening the Alcatraz Prison’s roof structure protects a 1,300-panel roof-mounted solar PV array installed in 2012 that produces 400,000kw of electricity annually, reducing demand on the island diesel fuel powered generators by 60%.
• Reduction of $53.5 million of deferred maintenance and repair backlog on an NHL building.

Project Details

Anticipated completion*: Fall of 2027 (Q4)
Current GAOA cost estimate*: $63,584,000
Visitor impact: There will be periodic visitor impacts during construction.
Last updated: May 2024
*These are estimates and subject to change.

Project Purpose and Goals:

• Protect $50 million invested from appropriated funds, visitor fees and donations over the past 20 years in at least 20 projects on Alcatraz Island that have made the Alcatraz Main Prison Building more resilient to seismic events and made the Island safer and less expensive to maintain.
• Correct critical structural deficiencies that threaten suspension of visitor access to and interpretation of the Alcatraz Cellhouse.
• Protect Alcatraz Island’s concession operations, which generate roughly $10 million annually in franchise fees that support park operations and investments in the repair and maintenance of Island facilities.
• Ensure safe continuation of frequent commercial film shoots and private events in the Main Prison Building that annually provide $150,000 in park revenue.