What is the story behind the Gum Wall in Seattle?
About the Gum Wall This unexpected and colorful display is an intriguing representation of Seattle’s unique charm and character. The Gum Wall started in the 1990s when local patrons and performers at Unexpected Productions stuck their used gum on the wall.
Are you allowed to put gum on the Gum Wall?
However, people don’t generally put anything other than their fingertips on the Seattle Gum Wall, and if you see anyone kissing this wall, advise them to stop.
Does Seattle gum wall still exist?
While the gum was initially scraped off, that job soon became too tedious. As the gum droppings kept growing, by 1999 the brick wall was considered a kooky tourist attraction and now the gum remains in place year-round, except for those occasional cleanings.
How often do they scrape the Gum Wall in Seattle?
The wall has only been cleaned just once They pressure-washed and scraped the wall for the first time in 20 years to remove around 2300 pounds of gum and almost restored it to its original red-brick facade.
Is the Gum Wall famous?
It was named one of the top 5 germiest tourist attractions in the world in 2009! Considered a collective art project, The Wall of Gum in Seattle has become a popular landmark. Bubble gum of all flavors and colors await you inside Post Alley, just below Pike Place Market.
What city has the famous gum wall?
Considered a collective art project, The Wall of Gum in Seattle has become a popular landmark. Bubble gum of all flavors and colors await you inside Post Alley, just below Pike Place Market.
How do you find gum walls?
Head down a ramp (look for the Market Theater sign) to the left of the main entrance (marked by a large neon “Public Market” sign) to Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. At the bottom of the ramp, veer left into Post Alley and the Gum Wall will appear on both sides.
How did Bubble Gum Alley start?
Some historians believe that the tradition of the alley started after WWII as a San Luis Obispo High School graduating class event. Others believe it started in the late 1950s, as the rivalry between San Luis Obispo High School and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) students.
What is the purpose of the gum wall?
The wall is located in Post Alley adjacent to the box office for the Market Theater, a venue for comedy shows and other small performances. After it became the host of Unexpected Productions’ Theatresports in 1991, the theater’s walls were covered by patrons’ pieces of used gum that had pennies pushed into them.
How much gum is on the Gum Wall in Seattle?
2,200-pounds
Seattle’s famous ‘gum wall,’ 2,200-pounds of it, all chewed, gets a de-gumming. The world’s second “germiest” attraction is being wiped clean this week. Seattle’s iconic “gum wall” is getting steamed off after accumulating an estimated 2,200 pounds of gum over 20 years.
Who started Bubblegum Alley?
The history of Bubble Gum Alley is unclear and highly debated. According to the San Luis Obispo visitor’s bureau, some believe it started in the 1950s with a rivalry between high school students and Cal Poly students. Others believe high school grads started the sticky tradition after World War II.
Is the Seattle gum wall the only gum wall in America?
It’s Not America’s Only Gum Wall. You might think that the Seattle Gum Wall is the only gum wall, but there are a couple of others. Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo, California, is the other gum wall that most people may have heard of, but there’s also a smaller one in Greenville, Ohio.
Where is the gum wall in Pike Place Market?
The Gum Wall. What travelers are saying. As you enter the main entrance to Pike Place Market (where the big sign and clock are located), hug the left side and go down the alley and it will bring you to Post Alley…you will immediately see the wall. Add your own artwork to the wall with your favorite gum.
What was the original gum wall?
The actual original Gum Wall was the brick wall between our door of the theater and what is now the entrance to the elevator lobby. I don’t know what it is, 10 feet, 12 feet. Mary Bacarella: I would say within the first year or so we saw it happening, right away.
Why is there a gum wall in London?
The wall, which has been collecting pieces of chewed-up gum from its visitors for more than two decades now, is also part of the city’s history. What began as an act of littering in the 90s has now become a nationally-recognized art project of sorts, to the point where the city has stopped all attempts to keep the Gum wall un-gummed.