New hotel may be built in Alcatraz

The Alcatraz Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay
The US National Park Service may add a hotel to Alcatraz Island which would give the public 24-hour access to the once notorious prison.

"People are constantly saying they want to see more of the island," National Park Service Spokesman Rich Weideman said. "A hotel would be the ultimate experience in visitor access."

The island, also known as The Rock, is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California. With 1.5 million visitors per year, Alcatraz is the western state's second most popular tourist attraction, after its famed cable cars.

Parts of the 12-acre (5-hectare) island are closed to the public, including wildlife areas, the room where prison guards bowled and the prison theater where gangsters watched 'From Here to Eternity'.


Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz
Robert Stroud, better known as the 'Birdman of Alcatraz', Al 'Scarface' Capone, George 'Machine Gun' Kelly, James 'Whitey' Bulger and Clarence Carnes, also known as the Choctaw Kid, were among the famous Alcatraz inmates.

The park service is considering several proposals as part of its development and renovation plan for the next 20 years, which also includes serving food to visitors in the prison cafeteria and adding boat tours to the island's perimeter.

Weideman said public comments on the proposals would be used to create new draft of a general plan next year.