READ: Research Team Experiences Paranormal Activity on Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was once housed some notorious criminals, but even after the prison’s closure, it seems some of them were never released. Now notorious for being one of the most haunted prisons in America, the ghosts of Alcatraz are still alive and well— metaphorically speaking, of course. Recently, a team of researchers experienced the prison’s paranormal activity firsthand when they stayed overnight while working on a project to create a 3D map of Alcatraz Island.
Image from Pixabay.
For three weeks, the team resided in D Block, the section of Alcatraz originally reserved for its most dangerous inmates. Lead researcher Pete Kelsey slept just a few cells away from where the infamous Robert Stroud, known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, was once confined. While on site, the team had access to areas typically off-limits to tourists, including the hospital wing with its dentist’s office, X-ray room, and infirmary. “The hospital wing was particularly unsettling,” Kelsey admitted. “That place gave me the creeps.”
But that creepy feeling really ramped up after one team member, a retired law enforcement officer with a deafening snore, was sent to isolation one night. Reportedly, the team member’s snoring was so loud, the rest of his team requested that he sleep in the prison’s mugshot room instead of in D Block with them. The next morning, Kelsey found him outside the mugshot room, sleeping with his gear. When asked why, the man recounted a harrowing experience: in the middle of the night, he was awakened by the sounds of a crowd of people above him, moving furniture and playing a non-existent piano. Terrified, he grabbed his belongings and fled the room, vowing never to return.
After this incident, the team decided they would rather endure the snoring than risk another ghostly encounter.
This latest ghost story only adds to the many claims that Alcatraz is haunted. Numerous visitors report hearing eerie moans and cries from the cell blocks, suggesting that the spirits of former inmates and guards still linger on the island. Additionally, some Native American tribes believe the island is home to malevolent spirits, further enhancing its spooky reputation. For anyone planning a visit, it might be wise to use the buddy system— and don’t spend the night!
Read the original source of this article at CBS News.
Check out our own Alcatraz photo album in our blog Our Trip to Alcatraz, America's Most Haunted Prison!
