Seattle is known for quirky landmarks with the Pike Place Gum Wall being right at the top of the list. A number of words could be used to describe its sticky presence in the city: colorful, gross, unique, inventive, unusual - but in order to truly be able to describe it, one must simply visit.
However, a person could walk down any street in a city and spot at least five pieces of gum stuck on the ground, so what's so special about Seattle's Gum Wall? 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.
How Seattle's Gum Wall Began Collecting Gum
Despite the fact that the Gum Wall has consistently made the list of one of the top 'germiest' tourist destinations in the world, it continues to fascinate visitors. With so many colorful pieces of candy stuck to one 50-foot-long wall, it's sure to drive up the allure of such a place. The tradition began in 1993 outside of the Market Theater. While waiting for shows to start, ticket holders with nowhere to place their gum would simply stick it to the side of the building. Since there's little there but an alleyway wide enough for a long line, it seemed pretty unassuming. However, the tradition caught on, and soon enough, the wall became more than just a place to stick one's gum. It was the thing to do for those attending a show at the Market Theater, by leaving their sticky candy - and a bit of DNA - on the wall of the theater itself.
At the time, the administration for the Pike Market saw it as a gross display and had it cleaned. Although the wall underwent two thorough de-gummings before the theater's visitors decided that the tradition would be ongoing and, to this day, it's something that visitors do regardless of whether they're attending a Market Theater show or not.
- To Visit: Take the ramp to the left of the Public Market Center sign at Pike Market. At the bottom of the ramp, make a left, go past Post Alley, and the Gum Wall will be visible down both sides of the alleyway.
Wall Of Gum: A Sticky Tribute By The City's Visitors
People have a wide variety of reactions when it comes to Seattle's Gum Wall. The first is usually that of disgust at the thought of thousands of people sticking their discarded gum - 99% of the time, on top of others' - on a wall. The second is one of genuine curiosity and, for the photography-inclined, one of excitement at the thought of capturing such a unique and colorful display. It has quickly turned into one of the most popular tourist landmarks in the city of Seattle, even following its third (and, likely, final, for a while) cleaning back in 2015.
- Fun Fact: The Gum Wall was cleaned in 2015 in order to preserve the integrity of the wall itself. In some spots, pieces of gum were stuck so thickly to the wall that it required steam and a decent scraping to remove inches at a time.
Occasionally, visitors to the Gum Wall can see coins stuck to the wall on top of pieces of gum. This is yet another tradition that was started in the 90s and while there are fewer coins today than there once were, it often makes for a neat (free!) display on a sunny day.
Speaking of which, those visiting on a hot Seattle summer day should be wary of the stench... all of that heat does something pretty funky to the gum that has been drying on the wall. In addition to parts of the wall melting together, it can get, well... rather gummy during warm temperatures.
In addition to eyeing gum that spans for 50 feet in either direction and as high up as the average person is tall, there are a few more things to notice at the Gum Wall. In recent years, visitors have started creating gum 'sculptures' in tribute to the wall. These sculptures are often made at the foot of the wall and left for future visitors to observe and take photos of, with some of them becoming fairly creative and detailed depending on the amount of time a person has to spend there.
Gum Wall: Gross Or Worth It?
In short, Seattle's unique gum attraction is definitely worth the visit. It might seem unusual and even a tad disgusting, but it's also a piece of Seattle history that's worth seeing in person.