Alcatraz Quiz: The Rock, Escapes and Island Prison of the USA
This Alcatraz quiz explores the famous island prison in San Francisco Bay, USA, with questions on its years as a federal penitentiary, where its name comes from, the 1962 escape with spoons and dummy heads, Al Capone, the Birdman of Alcatraz, the Native American occupation of 1969, the first lighthouse on the West Coast, why the prison closed, Clint Eastwood and the cold bay waters. Ten questions.
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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds
Prisons
Alcatraz operated as a federal prison during which years?
Names
The name Alcatraz comes from an old Spanish word for what kind of birds?
Escapes
In the famous escape of June 1962, what did the inmates leave in their beds to fool the guards?
Inmates
Which famous Chicago gangster was held at Alcatraz in the 1930s?
Inmates
Robert Stroud, known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, actually kept birds at which earlier prison?
Protests
From 1969 to 1971, Alcatraz was occupied by whom?
Lighthouses
Alcatraz was the site of the first what on the US West Coast, built in 1854?
Closure
Why was Alcatraz prison closed in 1963?
Films
Which actor starred as Frank Morris in the 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz?
Waters
What made escaping from Alcatraz by swimming so dangerous?
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Scroll down to see the explanation for each question.
Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions
- Q1: Alcatraz operated as a federal prison during which years?
Answer: 1934 to 1963
It held some of the most dangerous prisoners in the country. Before that, the island was a military fort and army prison.
- Q2: The name Alcatraz comes from an old Spanish word for what kind of birds?
Answer: Pelicans or seabirds
Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala named the island in 1775. Seabirds still nest there today.
- Q3: In the famous escape of June 1962, what did the inmates leave in their beds to fool the guards?
Answer: Dummy heads made of soap, paper and real hair
Frank Morris and the brothers John and Clarence Anglin dug through their cell walls with sharpened spoons. They were never found, and the FBI closed the case in 1979.
- Q4: Which famous Chicago gangster was held at Alcatraz in the 1930s?
Answer: Al Capone
Capone arrived in 1934 and spent more than four years on the island. He reportedly played the banjo in a prison band.
- Q5: Robert Stroud, known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, actually kept birds at which earlier prison?
Answer: Leavenworth
He was not allowed birds at Alcatraz. A 1962 film starring Burt Lancaster made him famous.
- Q6: From 1969 to 1971, Alcatraz was occupied by whom?
Answer: Native American activists
The group, called Indians of All Tribes, claimed the island under an old treaty. Their protest helped change US government policy toward Native Americans.
- Q7: Alcatraz was the site of the first what on the US West Coast, built in 1854?
Answer: Lighthouse
The original lighthouse was damaged in the 1906 earthquake and replaced in 1909. The current tower still works.
- Q8: Why was Alcatraz prison closed in 1963?
Answer: It was too expensive to run
All food, water and supplies had to be brought by boat. Salt air was also damaging the buildings.
- Q9: Which actor starred as Frank Morris in the 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz?
Answer: Clint Eastwood
The film was shot on the island itself. Alcatraz also appears in the 1996 action film The Rock.
- Q10: What made escaping from Alcatraz by swimming so dangerous?
Answer: Cold water and strong currents
The bay's water is often around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. Today, athletes swim from the island in organized races.
Alcatraz Quiz – America's Most Famous Prison
Alcatraz Island lies in San Francisco Bay, about 2 kilometers from the city of San Francisco, USA. Nicknamed The Rock, it is best known as a former federal prison that once held some of America's most notorious criminals. Today, it is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and attracts more than a million visitors a year.
Spanish explorers named the island in 1775 after the seabirds that lived there. In 1854, it became home to the first lighthouse on the US West Coast. The army built a fort and later a military prison on the island. In 1934, it became a maximum-security federal penitentiary for prisoners who had caused trouble elsewhere.
Famous inmates included Al Capone, George Machine Gun Kelly and Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz. Officials claimed no one ever escaped. In 1962, Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers vanished after digging out of their cells with spoons and leaving dummy heads in their beds. Their fate remains a mystery.
The prison closed in 1963 because it was too expensive to run. From 1969 to 1971, Native American activists occupied the island, a protest that helped change national policy. Their messages can still be seen painted on buildings.
Visitors take a ferry to the island, tour the cellhouse with an audio guide and see gardens planted by guards' families.
Alcatraz has inspired many films, books and TV shows, from Escape from Alcatraz to The Rock. The island is also an important nesting site for seabirds such as gulls and cormorants, and some areas close during nesting season.
This quiz covers the history, inmates, escapes and legends of Alcatraz.
What This Quiz Teaches
This quiz is perfect for history fans, true crime lovers and travelers.
- When Alcatraz was a federal prison
- Where the name Alcatraz comes from
- The famous 1962 escape
- Al Capone and the Birdman
- The 1969 Native American occupation
- The lighthouse, the closure and the cold waters
Quick Facts About Alcatraz
- Cells at Alcatraz were about 1.5 by 2.7 meters.
- Inmates could sometimes hear parties in San Francisco across the water.
- Prisoners worked in the island's laundry and workshops.
- Families of guards lived on the island.
- Night tours offer a spookier view of the prison.
- Tickets often sell out weeks in advance.
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