Gardens of Alcatraz

Gardens of Alcatraz Gardening in the most unique setting F
When the prison closed in 1963, the manuicured gardens were abandoned and became overgrown.

For more than a century, the residents of Alcatraz created gardens to lift their spirits and soften the harshness of their environment. All that remained as evidence was a variety of ornamental plants and ruins of walkways, railings and terraces. In 2003, the Garden Conservancy, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the National Park Service began a joint effort to preserve and restore t

he historic gardens. Volunteer crews now work with Garden Conservancy staff year-round to plant and maintain the gardens.

T-30 days until we a host a field trip for the American Public Gardens Association conference!! No pressure, just garden...
05/09/2026

T-30 days until we a host a field trip for the American Public Gardens Association conference!!

No pressure, just garden managers from all of the country’s public gardens coming to see your work😂

Joking aside, we’re so excited to share our work and the stories our gardens hold. Alcatraz is more than a just a historic prison, it’s a place where people and plants connect, and why it matters in our lives today.

A beautiful day at the Central California Women’s Facility celebrating their garden makeover and the graduating class of...
04/26/2026

A beautiful day at the Central California Women’s Facility celebrating their garden makeover and the graduating class of Land Together’s garden program.

So many beautiful words were shared - song, poems and expressions of gratitude to the incredible program manager Lauren.

One share that is still sitting with me is a reading from The Book of Awakenings. A story of a gardener who is determined to protect their plants from a rabbit who is munching everything. The gardener tries every trick but still the veggies are gone.

Finally, the gardener leaves the garden gate open and awaits the night.

He sees the rabbit hopping out through the open gate, finally released.

Sometimes life isn’t about keeping something out, but letting something out.

This was read by someone going on 7 years of time served. And she posed the question - ‘what is something that you want to release?’

This one story captures what Land Together enables for their participants - a safe place to learn, grow, and heal.

And an unexpected thank you gift for volunteering this past year - seeds from their garden, packaged with love and care!

‘Art and plants go together, you can tell a whole story with them’ - Sol Island staff took a field trip to the nursery a...
03/27/2026

‘Art and plants go together, you can tell a whole story with them’ - Sol

Island staff took a field trip to the nursery and new garden shop of Planting Justice, one of our community partners.

Sol Mercado proudly showed us all the work of Planting Justice. Their nursery in Oakland and Farm Store in El Sobrante is open to the public and has an incredible selection of edible plants not easily found elsewhere!

The nursery not only has incredible plants but combines art to tell the stories of incarceration.

The Farm Store was once owned by a Japanese American family who were sent to an internment camp under the Executive Order 9066.

Art installations called Solitary Gardens are also a part of the landscape. These gardens are planted in the same dimensions as a solitary cell, 5’x9’, and are filled with plants that hold meaning for the prisoners, and to honor people who have been harmed through their actions.

Highly recommend stoping by for a visit, you won’t be disappointed!

Today in history - Alcatraz closed on March 21, 1963 as a Federal prison. For the gardens, this was the beginning of 40 ...
03/22/2026

Today in history - Alcatraz closed on March 21, 1963 as a Federal prison.

For the gardens, this was the beginning of 40 years of being abandoned, but not quite forgotten.

Today, the restored gardens are thriving! And today was also marked by a new cohort of garden docents, ready to welcome visitors into these secret gardens that hold the stories of the people who tended them.

Come see the gardens for yourself as we step into spring!

Spring blooms in our Officers’ Row gardens!
03/11/2026

Spring blooms in our Officers’ Row gardens!

Our rose terrace is now open for visitors to stroll through! This secret garden had only been open when a docent could b...
02/27/2026

Our rose terrace is now open for visitors to stroll through!

This secret garden had only been open when a docent could be there, but we’ve worked hard to open this space safely for visitors to be exploring on their own.

The Alcatraz rose is in full bloom along with fragrant freesias! Come explore off the beaten track!

Did you know February 1st marked the start of songbird nesting season?Let’s help our feathered friends and leave big pru...
02/10/2026

Did you know February 1st marked the start of songbird nesting season?

Let’s help our feathered friends and leave big pruning tasks to mid August, when their nesting season ends.

This tiny hummingbird nest is just a little bigger than a quarter and so well camouflaged!




02/07/2026

An honour to share our work!

I don’t know anything football, but it was fun to welcome NFL players and their families to a private night on Alcatraz!...
02/03/2026

I don’t know anything football, but it was fun to welcome NFL players and their families to a private night on Alcatraz!

The island staff gave a world class experience to our guests!! The only thing that could have been added was a coyote (Floyd) howling at the full moon

The Gardener of Alcatraz Storywalk is back! Read along with your family to learn the true story of how gardening changed...
01/30/2026

The Gardener of Alcatraz Storywalk is back!

Read along with your family to learn the true story of how gardening changed a person’s life on Alcatraz.

Thank you to our volunteer gardeners who helped place all the signs!

Address

Building 201, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA
94123

Telephone

415-561-4900

Website

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