Trump's Alcatraz restoration plan gets cold reception

It's "just an idea I've had," the president said.

"We need law and order in this country. So we're going to look at it."

Once nearly impossible to leave, the island can be difficult to get to because of competition for tickets. Alcatraz prison held fewer than 300 inmates at a time before it was closed in 1963 and draws roughly 1.2 million tourists a year.

US Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall said he would vigorously pursue the president's agenda and was looking at next steps.

"It's a waste of money," said visitor Ben Stripe from Santa Ana, California.

"After walking around and seeing this place and the condition it's in, it is just way too expensive to refurbish."

"It's not feasible to have somebody still live here," agreed Cindy Lacomb from Phoenix, Arizona, who imagined replacing all the metal in the cells and rebuilding the crumbling concrete.

The sprawling site is in disrepair, with peeling paint and rusting locks and cell bars. Signs reading "Area closed for your safety" block off access to many parts of the grounds. Chemical toilets sit next to permanent rest rooms closed off for repair.

The former home of Al Capone and other notable inmates was known for tough treatment, including pitch-black isolation cells. It was billed as America's most secure prison given the island location, frigid waters and strong currents.

It was closed because of high operating costs. The island also was claimed by Native American activists in 1969, an act of civil disobedience acknowledged by the National Park Service.

Mike Forbes, visiting from Pittsburgh, said it should remain a part of history.

"I'm a former prison guard and rehabilitation is real. Punishment is best left in the past," Forbes said.

No successful escapes were ever officially recorded from Alcatraz, though five prisoners were listed as "missing and presumed drowned."