Photographs of the wall also have graced business brochures. Tour groups visiting the Market stop daily to see it. At 8 feet high and 54 feet wide, there are an estimated over 50 pieces of gum per brick or over 250,000 wads of gum on the wall.
What is the gum wall in Seattle?
The Market Theater Gum Wall is a brick wall covered in used chewing gum under Pike Place Market in Downtown Seattle. It is located on Post Alley near Pike Street, south of the market's main entrance off 1st Avenue. Parts of the gum coating alongside the walls are several inches thick, and the coating is 15 feet.
How many pieces of gum are in a brick wall?
Tour groups visiting the Market stop daily to see it. At 8 feet high and 54 feet wide, there are an estimated over 50 pieces of gum per brick or over 250,000 wads of gum on the wall. ” One of the 10 greatest places to sample quirky Americana.
How thick is the gum wall at Market Theater?
Parts of the gum coating alongside the walls are several inches thick, and the coating is 15 feet (4.6 m) high along a 50-foot-long (15 m) section. The Market Theater Gum Wall has become a tourist attraction and local landmark since it was unintentionally created in the 1990s.
How long is a gum wall?
By the late 2000s, the gum wall had grown to 50 feet (15 m) long and included pieces as high as 20 feet (6.1 m). Some contributors to the gum wall arranged their pieces to create small works of art.
How many pounds of gum is on the gum wall?
Workers from the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority toiled continuously for 3 days to clean the icky wall in November 2015. 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.
How much gum is on the Seattle gum wall?
Work began on November 10 and took 130 hours to complete, with over 2,350 pounds (1,070 kg) of gum removed and disposed of.
Does the gum wall stink?
It's Not Very Clean As one might expect from a wall of used gum, the Seattle Gum Wall also doesn't smell that great—especially on hot summer days when the stench can become almost unbearable in this narrow alleyway.
Does the gum wall still exist?
Located in Post Alley under Pike Place Market, Gum Wall (Market Theatre Gum Wall) is a brick wall in Seattle covered in used chewing gum. The attraction's beginnings date to 1993 when people, irritated about waiting in line to get theatre tickets, stuck chewing gum on the wall.
Did the Gum Wall Melt 2021?
Seattle's Gum Wall is Steam Cleaned On Tuesday, cleaners began melting it all off.
Why was the Gum Wall cleaned?
The reason for the cleaning? Preserving the physical wall. Back in 2015, there were an estimated one million pieces of gum stuck on the wall. The weight and sugar from the gum could destroy the wall if left alone.
Did the Gum Wall melt?
Seattle's Gum Wall is Steam Cleaned On Tuesday, cleaners began melting it all off.
How thick was the Gum Wall Seattle?
six inches thickToday, Bush writes, the Gum Wall has grown to cover much of the brick alleyway at the market. According to estimates, the walls are coated with more than 1 million wads of gum, layered as much as six inches thick.
What is Seattle best known for?
Seattle is famous for Starbucks and overall coffee culture, grunge music scene, the Seahawks, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, headquarters of a lot of the tech industry (including both Amazon and Microsoft), hiking, kayaking, and general outdoors lifestyle (think REI).
Why does gum wall exist?
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.
How do I get to the gum wall?
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.
Did they take down the Gum Wall in Seattle?
The market released a time lapse of the 130 hours it took workers to clear the Pike Place Market's Post Alley gum wall. Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority says they removed the gum to preserve the historic buildings in the district.
Did they take down the Gum Wall in Seattle?
The market released a time lapse of the 130 hours it took workers to clear the Pike Place Market's Post Alley gum wall. Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority says they removed the gum to preserve the historic buildings in the district.
Where is the Gum Wall in Seattle?
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.
What is Seattle best known for?
Seattle is famous for Starbucks and overall coffee culture, grunge music scene, the Seahawks, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, headquarters of a lot of the tech industry (including both Amazon and Microsoft), hiking, kayaking, and general outdoors lifestyle (think REI).
Why is it called Post Alley?
The building had good reasons for its name. It housed the Post-Intelligencer newspaper; it was built at the corner of Mill Street and Post Alley; and, for a short time, the post office was in the basement." The building burned in Seattle's Great Fire of 1889. -MOHAI.
When is The Gum Wall open?
The Gum Wall is open:Sun - Sat 12:00 AM - 11:59 PMBuy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 h...
Do you need to book in advance to visit The Gum Wall?
We recommend booking The Gum Wall tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your...
What's the best way to see The Gum Wall?
According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience The Gum Wall: Seattle Scavenger Hunt Adventure (From $20.52) Haunted Seat...
What hotels are near The Gum Wall?
Hotels near The Gum Wall: (0.03 mi) The Green Tortoise Hostel Seattle (0.07 mi) Four Seasons Hotel Seattle (0.08 mi) The State Hotel (0.11 mi) Inn...
What restaurants are near The Gum Wall?
Restaurants near The Gum Wall: (0.01 mi) Crepe De France (0.01 mi) Honest Biscuits (0.01 mi) Pasta Casalinga (0.01 mi) La Vaca Mexican Restaurant (...
When did the gum wall start?
The wall is by the box office for the Market Theater. The tradition began around 1993 when patrons of Unexpected Productions ' Seattle Theatresports stuck gum to the wall and placed coins in the gum blobs. Theater workers scraped the gum away twice, but eventually gave up after market officials deemed the gum wall a tourist attraction around 1999.
When was the gum wall in the market theater?
The Market Theater Gum Wall in 2009.
Why is the gum wall scrubbed?
On November 3, 2015, it was announced by the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority that for the first time in 20 years the great attraction gum wall would be receiving a total scrub down for maintenance and steam cleaning, to prevent further erosion of the bricks on the walls from the sugar in the gum.
How tall is the gum wall in San Luis Obispo?
Parts of the gum coating on the wall are several inches thick, and the coating is 15 feet (4.6 m) high along a 50-foot-long (15 m) section.
How far is gum stuck to the wall?
You might envision that the gum wall is just a small strip of wall next to a theater entrance, but gum is stuck to the walls along an alley for more than 50 feet. While most of the gum is within the average person’s arm reach, some can be impressively high up on the wall or located in obscure places.
Where is the gum wall in Seattle?
However, Seattle is a little bit quirky and has some pretty quirky attractions, including the Seattle Gum Wall located just outside the main entrance to Pike Place Market . Just as the name would imply, the Seattle Gum Wall is covered in thousands of pieces of chewing gum that have been placed on the side of the Post Alley's Market Theater ...
How long did it take to clean gum off the brick wall of Pike Place?
The work took 130 hours, and 2,350 pounds of gum old and new were scraped away during the process.
How long has gum been stuck to brick?
Up until November 2015, the gum wall had never been cleaned, meaning there were more than 20 years of gum stuck to the brick facade. Before the cleaning, though, there were spots in the wall where the gum was several inches thick.
How long did theaters keep gum on the walls?
Soon, thousands of pieces of gum had been affixed to the wall and cleaning efforts were completely abandoned for over 20 years.
Is there a gum wall in America?
It's Not America's Only Gum Wall. Peggy Price/Eye Em / Getty Images. 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.
Is the gum wall covered in germs?
It's Covered in Germs. Joel Carillet /Getty Images. Speaking of cleanliness, the Seattle Gum Wall made a list of the top five germiest tourist attractions in 2009, second only to the Blarney Stone, which actually involves putting your lips onto a surface.
How many pieces of gum are there in a brick?
At 8 feet high and 54 feet wide, there are an estimated over 50 pieces of gum per brick or over 250,000 wads of gum on the wall.
When did the gum stick to the wall?
Others soon followed suit. By the end of 1995 , the wall was covered with the coin-topped chewed gum offering. One day, someone in need of money took all the coins, but left the gum. The idea stuck.
What do the creators of the gum wall say?
Creators of the gum wall have taken their time, spelling out their name or their significant other’s name along the wall. Others have posted their hometown or their home country. And a few have even put up messages of hope and peace.
Is there a gum wall in Pike Place?
However, none of them has gained the fame (actually infamy) of the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market.
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.
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.
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.
Overview
The Gum Wall is a brick wall covered in used chewing gum under Pike Place Market in Downtown Seattle. It is located on Post Alley near Pike Street, south of the market's main entrance off 1st Avenue. Parts of the gum coating alongside the walls are several inches thick, and the coating is 15 feet (4.6 m) high along a 50-foot-long (15 m) section. The Market Theater Gum Wall has become a touri…
History
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. The coins were later removed, but the gum remained amid several cleanings of the walls under orders from the Pike Place Market Preservation and D…
Recognition
It was named one of the top 5 germiest tourist attractions in 2009, second to the Blarney Stone. The Washington state governor, Jay Inslee, said it is his "favorite thing about Seattle you can't find anywhere else". The Gum Wall is located at the start of the Ghost Tour, and also a popular site with wedding photographers. Oftentimes, visitors create declarations of love out of gum, making for a comparison of the gum wall to other romantic spots such as the Pont des Art in Paris.
Cleaning
On November 3, 2015, it was announced by the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority that for the first time in 20 years the great attraction gum wall would be receiving a total scrub down for maintenance and steam cleaning, to prevent further erosion of the bricks on the walls from the sugar in the gum. Prior to this, it had only ever been spot-cleaned in areas where gum had been placed in prohibited areas.
Controversy
Some argue that the gum wall encourages litter as visitors usually stick items like cigarette butts or gum wrappers along the wall. There were also prior complaints that the gum was being tracked into nearby businesses and that it attracts rats in the alley. Bars and restaurants located on the opposite side of the attraction tried to keep the gum away from their properties by posting signs that read 'No Gum'. However, this tactic was not successful.
As art
The gum wall is an example of participatory art and conceptual art.
Although officials of the Pike Place Market defined the concern around gum affecting the brick wall, some may see the participation in sticking up the substance as attributing to collective action. Many may classify the spot as a 'collective art' piece, where something colloquially bad has been transformed into artwork.
See also
• Bubblegum Alley
External links
• Media related to Gum wall, Seattle, Washington at Wikimedia Commons