The Gum Wall Seattle Pike Place Market The Restless Viking

“Marti-Parti, what would you like to see in Seattle?” My friend, Anita, asked when I arrived for a visit in Redmond, Washington last August. “I’d like to see The Gum Wall at Pike Place Market.” I nodded and smiled from behind my mask.

“Marti-Parti” was the nickname that her sons, Sean and Christopher, had called me when I babysat them decades ago. Having friendships that share a rich, long history is precious to me! We’d be heading to West Seattle later to meet Christopher and Sean and their families. I was beyond excited to meet with them! But first, seeing the Gum Wall would be a treat!

After cruising through the open air Pike Place Market, we found Post Alley. The Gum Wall consumed the entire space. The look of the colorful walls enticed individuals to add their own piece of ‘art’ to the pointillism spectacle.

Post Alley Gum Wall(s)
Pike Place Market, Seattle

Anita is a doctor of nursing and teaches at Seattle University. With Covid variants seeping into air, we were taking precautions. We viewed the gum, but with the close proximity of the pieces, we were reluctant to touch the wall. It was an impressive, unique display. Small cards and notes were glued into the sea anemones of gum.

The History of the Gum Wall

In 1993 patrons of Unexpected Productions Theater placed blobs of chewed gum in Post Alley outside the entrance. Many added a coin into their gooeyness. Soon, many more balls of gum joined them on the wall. The coins have since disappeared, but the blobs of goo have multiplied. Before long, the masonry, along with pipes and vents, were covered in multicolored speckles.

*Improv theater workers scraped away the gooey globs twice in the mid and late 1990’s.*

After these efforts, the workers grew weary at seeing more gum added to the alley the very next day. In 1999 the Gum Wall was labeled as a tourist attraction by Pike Place Market officials. The gum display had grown exponentially in the following years.

City Workers

*Seattle workers spent three days peeling 2,300 pounds of gum in November of 2015.*

The Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority toiled for three days to remove the 2,300 pounds of gum. Some workers used rakes while others used steam to release the stickiness. Pressure washing was an effective tool, too. Their goal was to preserve the historic buildings. However, they expected the area to be “re-gummed” in a short amount of time.

As they’d predicted it didn’t take long for the alley to once again become covered in a sea anemone of gum after the 2015 clean up. It started with a peace sign made from dots of gum until it has became what you see today.

*The Gum Wall was dripping with colorful globs. All these pieces have been placed here since November of 2015.*

Other Gum Walls

There are two other gum walls in the United States. One is San Luis’ Bubblegum Alley in Obisbo, California. The other is in Greenville, Ohio. Gum dots cover the outer brick wall at the Maid-Rite Store at 125 North Broadway. This loose meat sandwich shop started in 1934. Patrons began leaving their gum on the wall, instead of throwing it on the sidewalk. Many have added notes and coins into their globs. Some stretch their piece to create initials. After eight decades of customers leaving their mark on the brick, the owners have no plans to wash the gum away. After all, it’s a memorial!

Curious Finds Are Everywhere!

Be alert for the unusual displays as you travel. Locals often know the most intriguing places in the area. Bar tenders and wait staff can direct you to these spots of interest. Continue to be curious and keep looking behind the curtain of life as you encounter new locations.