North Waterfront in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Post Exchange & Officers' Club

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, June 15, 2023

1. The Post Exchange & Officers' Club Marker

Inscription. The Alcatraz Post Exchange (PX), or “Soldiers Clubhouse,” built in 1910, was the local general store, a place for soldiers and their families to buy food and personal goods. When Alcatraz became a federal prison in 1934, the PX was converted into a recreation hall and correctional officers’ club, complete with a dance floor, movie theater, gymnasium, two-lane bowling alley, and soda fountain. The building was one of several destroyed by fire in June 1970.

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[#4 Post Exchange & Officers' Club]

(Marker Number 4.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1910.

Location. 37° 48.391′ N, 122° 24.261′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in North Waterfront. It can be reached from The Embarcadero south of Bay Street, on the right when traveling north. The resin marker is mounted to a 3-D topographical map of Alcatraz Island. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Pier 33, San Francisco CA 94133, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on California’s Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Military Schoolhouse (here, next to this marker); Guardhouse & Sallyport Complex (here, next to this marker); Industrial Buildings (here, next to this marker); Main Prison Building (here, next to this marker); Warden’s House and Lighthouse (here, next to this marker); The Dock (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named The Dock (here, next to this marker); Staff Housing Area (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.

More about this marker. There is a small braille plaque in the lower left corner of the marker.
Inset Images:
Banquet in the officers’ club, 1948.
The basement of the officers’ club held a bowling alley used by the island families.
Alcatraz teenagers at an island Christmas party.
Post Exchange token issued during the military era. Coins like this served as currency – but only at Alcatraz.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Officers' Club: Getting together on Alcatraz

Also see . . . Alcatraz Island. National Park Service: Island of Incarceration, Island of Freedom (Submitted on July 17, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

The Post Exchange & Officers' Club Marker and Topo Map image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, June 15, 2023

2. The Post Exchange & Officers' Club Marker and Topo Map

Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 336 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 17, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of the building ruins. • Can you help?