5 Famous Prisoners Who Haunt Alcatraz

Alcatraz is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. People ferry over to this old prison to learn about its rich history. Many of them also come because they have heard rumors that this place is haunted. Even if they don’t feel the spirits that are supposed to be haunting this place, they are interested in learning about it. Although the thirty years that the federal prison was in operation at Alcatraz is really only a blip in the island’s history, it’s the era that most visitors want to know about. It’s no surprise, then, that the most famous ghosts that supposedly haunt this island are the prisoners who were once contained within its walls.

Here’s a look at five famous prisoners that people say haunt the halls and cells of Alcatraz to this day:

1. Al Capone

This gangster is arguably the most famous prisoner to have been housed at Alcatraz. Learning about him is a favorite part of the island’s audio tour for many visitors. Although what he was actually sent to prison for was tax evasion, he was a mobster who was likely engaged in many different types of crime. He’s famous for his criminal acts and he’s also famous for supposedly haunting the prison where he stayed the longest (Alcatraz). Some people say that they see strange white orbs when they pass his old cell, a phenomenon that has been attributed to his ghost’s activity in the area. More commonly, though, people claim to hear banjo music resonating throughout the prison. As Capone got older, his mind started to go and he became paranoid that people were after him. He refused to go out into the prison yard and was often found hiding out inside the prison playing his banjo to stay sane.

2. Robert “Birdman” Stroud

The “Birdman of Alcatraz” is another one of the most notorious prisoners in the short history of Alcatraz. He gained international attention for studying ornithology while he was incarcerated. That’s how he got the nickname “The Birdman”. However, he didn’t actually complete these studies at Alcatraz. He studied birds when he was at Leavenworth prison in the Midwest. Later, he was moved to Alcatraz where there was no opportunity for him to continue these studies but Alcatraz is a much more famous prison so the nickname “Birdman of Alcatraz” stuck. The Birdman was released from Alcatraz but many people say that his spirit never left. People are convinced that they hear him calling his birds. It’s easy to see why you might hear this if you go to Alcatraz, the wind whipping around this chilly island creates a lot of strange sounds. But could the famous old prisoner really still be there in spirit?!

3. Abie “Butcher” Maldowitz

Abie “Butcher” Maldowitz probably would not even have become a famous prisoner if it weren’t for the fact that his ghost was found to be haunting the prison. His story was an average story of a convicted felon ending up in Alcatraz’s prison for his crimes. He would have probably been forgotten except that famous medium Sylvia Brown says that she discovered his spirit in a cell there. She had been called in to discern whether the weird activities that people were saying they had experienced at Alcatraz were really signs of ghosts. Indeed, she felt the presence of a man and an unusual amount of violence in certain areas of the prison. The man was identified as hit man Butcher Maldowitz.

4. Rufe McCain

This is another prison who would not likely have become famous if it hadn’t been for the fact that he supposedly haunts Alcatraz. In fact, he’s the most famous ghost of Alcatraz because he has been reported to be seen or felt there so many times. The signs of his presence include such things as the fact that his old cell always remains icy cold, people feel significantly strong emotions when they step into that cell and some old guards reportedly saw glowing red eyes coming out of this cell when it was an active prison. A strange murder that occurred during the active prison years gave more fodder to the story that McCain was still haunting the area because guards blamed his ghost for committing the act! There are some wild stories surrounding this prisoner; they may or may not be true but they’re certainly interesting.

5. Escapees Coy, Cretzer and Hubbard

Take the Alcatraz tour and you will hear all about these three guys. That’s because they’re the guys that tried to escape from Alcatraz in a famous prison break. They hid out in a utility corridor which was eventually bombed by grenades to get them out. Before they were killed, they managed to kill a couple of guards. People say that the violence surrounding their deaths is the reason that their spirits continue to haunt the prison to this day. A night watchman was the first to report that he could still hear clanging in that old utility corridor thirty years later. Others have also reported strange sounds coming from here that are attributed to the ghosts of these three men.

Maybe you believe in ghosts and wonder if it’s true that these guys are haunting Alcatraz today. But even if you don’t, the ghost stories that people tell about Alcatraz can provide a great education for you into the history of the most famous prisoners that were kept there.