Take a walk with me today. A walk down or rather up Post Street in Seattle, Washington. It’s a rather steep climb so pace yourself. I don’t want you to wear out before you reach the top.
What do you see? A lot of people are up ahead. They are milling around, taking pictures and posing. 
You have arrived. Take it all in. I know it is a lot to process.
Gum. Lots of gum.
Gum upon gum. Stuck on the brick wall in all different hues.
Gross? Yes, maybe a little. Wait – maybe a lot. But fun, don’t you think?
The wall is located by the box office for the Market Theater and supposedly the tradition began in 1993 when patrons of the theater stuck gum to the wall and placed coins in the gum. The gum was scraped away a couple of times then but eventually that effort was deemed fruitless and abandoned. The wall is beneath the popular Pike Market Place and has become a destination for many. Including us.
It has been named one of the top 5 of the “germiest places” in the world and ranks up there with the Blarney Stone.
My sources tell me that an attempt was made in November 2015 to eradicate the gum. The gum wall got a total cleaning and 130 hours of work was performed to remove 2,350 pounds of gum. Within days of the removal gum started to reappear.
Obviously when we visited it was well on the way to being covered again less than a year later.
I know you are wondering. Did we add to the wall? Yes. a definitive yes. But our gum was a blah white color.
Our trip to Seattle was memorable and this had to be one of the most fun parts of it. Germs and all.
24 Comments
Leave a commentIt is so interesting how something like this starts and becomes part of the cultural life of a place.
I know! Who would think that a couple pieces of gum would turn into something like this. Why could something like this happen for something GOOD and start a movement of goodness? It’s a thought, right?
I think someone should do a “painting” Chuck-Close-like out of gum…..
Okay–you do it! I can see you making that happen.
I don’t know about this…it’s kind of gross.
It is kind of gross but you have to agree it is very colorful.
I hadn’t heard of that. Some part of my brain is going ‘euuuuwwwww.’ Glad you showed me but am unsure that I would want to be within 3 feet of the wall. Don’t know why I feel so squeamish, I’m not generally that way. Definitely a good photo op though.
I’m with you Dawn, three feet would be far too close for me and I’m not the squeamish sort either.
There’s just something about discarded gum though… eww!
Haha. Yea, it is kind of gross but I guess I detached myself from it or something.
Haha. It really did not bother me one bit for some reason. Maybe I should start worrying about myself.
Definitely an attraction not to miss!
I know! I am so glad we did it. We missed it last trip somehow which amazes me because we were right by it.
Thanks so much for sharing but it’s too gross for me. I do agree with you that it would be great to channel this passion and start a movement for goodness. My Mom, born and bred in Ohio, moved to Seattle during WWII, just for the adventure of it. (And possibly to meet sailors?) After the war, she moved back, but she always shared her memories of her fun times in Seattle.
What a fun story about your mom. So did she find her sailor? 🙂
I think I saw something about the cleanup on The Travel Channel or one of the other channels.
This is definitely not a job I would have bid on for a city. Adding gum though? Definitely! I couldn’t resist a little addition of my own to some local cultural art. Glad to see someone else couldn’t resist the temptation too! ☺
Of course we could not resist. Our gum just was not colorful but that’s okay. I am sure they will clean it up again but for now a little piece of germy us is left in Seattle.
Cute picture of you two! And yes, I WAS wondering if you’d left gum there. Interesting post; I never knew about this, but then, I don’t know much about Seattle!
Seattle is such a fun place! And we barely scratched the surface of all the things to do there. It is an adventure for sure to find these fun places.
I have seen this too. It is quite fascinating, although a bit germy. How brave of you to add to the wall. I too think it is fun!
Well I don’t know if it was brave but we had to do it! Honestly —the germs didn’t bug me one bit and they probably should have. 🙂
I don’t know if it was brave but we had to do it! 🙂
Eeew… That being said, it’s not nearly as gross as the open air pee wall in San Fran. Thanks for bringing us along, I’ve never heard of this petri dish before. LOL 🙂
Oh that is gross and disgusting and one site I do not want to go visit! Ugh.
Okay, officially it’s gross, but I’d still file it under cool things I’d want to see. I wonder WHY the theater people started doing it though? Maybe it was deemed rude to chew gum in the theatre? So they just stuck it to the wall before going in. Really, it’s only germy if you actually touch all the gum… which I doubt anyone would do. I’d definitely add my Juicy Fruit – ha.