Alcatraz Morgue, Military morgue at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, United States

The Alcatraz Morgue is a small 1910 building on the northwestern side of Alcatraz Island, halfway between the Water Tower and the Dining Hall and below the Recreation Yard. Inside are three vaults and an examination table, now moss-covered and in poor condition. A padlocked mint green double door and a grated skylight close the space, described as one of the simplest expressions of the Mission Revival style on the island.

The U.S. military built the morgue in 1910 on the site of a tunnel entrance soldiers had used since the 1870s to cross to the far side of the island. During Army use, deceased officers were taken to the military cemetery on Angel Island until its closure in the early 1900s, then to San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio. From 1934 to 1963, when Alcatraz held federal prisoners, deceased inmates went to the San Francisco County Coroner on the mainland.

The morgue is described as one of the simplest expressions of the Mission Revival style on Alcatraz. Its only documented use came when a deceased prisoner was stored there overnight after missing the last boat to the mainland; the examination table was never used for an autopsy.

The morgue stands on the northwestern side of Alcatraz Island, halfway between the Water Tower and the Dining Hall and below the Recreation Yard. Visitors reach it on foot through the prison grounds, so allow time to orient yourself within the complex.

The examination table inside has deteriorated over the years and developed a covering of green moss, reflecting the long passage of time without maintenance. This visible layer tells the story of the building's abandonment after the prison closed.