Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay
The island fortress and prison in the bay.
Terra Explorer American history
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Make this model
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely.
- Region
- San Francisco Bay
- Position
- 37.8267, -122.4230
- Area
- 2 × 2 km
- Real elevation
- 0 to 42 m (42 m of relief)
- Printed size
- 150 mm (5.9 in) wide, about 1:13,300
- Heights
- 3× exaggeration
- Elevation data
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, 1–10 m per point
- Suggested color
- Natural
- Group
- American history
About Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay
Alcatraz Island () is a small island about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate strait. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military prison. In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. The strong tidal currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape nearly impossible, giving the prison one of the most notorious reputations of its kind in American history. The prison closed on March 21, 1963, leaving the island a major tourist attraction today with nearly 1.4 million people visiting the island annually.
From Wikipedia: Alcatraz Island, text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. The article’s history lists its authors.
Questions about Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay
Where is Alcatraz?
Alcatraz is in San Francisco Bay at 37.8267, -122.4230. The model covers a 2 by 2 kilometer square around that point.
How high is the terrain in the Alcatraz model?
The land in this model runs from 0 to 42 m (42 m of relief). These are the measured heights, printed 3 times taller so the shape is easy to see.
Can I 3D print Alcatraz?
Yes. Download the free Standard resolution STL and print it on any FDM or resin printer. It is 150 mm wide and about 14.4 mm tall, on a solid 5 mm base, at a scale of about 1:13,300. It also works for CNC carving. Use Customize to change the width, base thickness or height exaggeration, make it round or add a name plate.
How accurate is the Alcatraz model?
It is built from real elevation measurements, not an artist's guess: the USGS 3D Elevation Program, mostly airborne laser scans at 1 to 10 meters per point. The shaded picture on this page is made from the same data.
Is the Alcatraz model free?
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely and is a paid upgrade.
What is a Alcatraz terrain model good for?
People use it as a classroom history lesson, a battlefield-visit memento or a wargaming board.
About this terrain model
Embossify Terra builds Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay from real measured elevation, not an artist's guess. In the United States the heights come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program, mostly airborne laser scans that resolve every 1 to 10 meters.
The model covers a 2 by 2 kilometer square centered on 37.8267, -122.4230. It prints 150 mm (5.9 in) wide on a solid base, a scale of about 1:13,300. The heights are exaggerated 3× so the shape is easy to see and feel; you can change that when you customize the model. The sea is flattened to zero, so land stands on a clean base.
New to terrain printing? Read how Terra works. The shaded picture on this page is made by Embossify from the same elevation data.
