Make a deposit, not a withdrawal. And for goodness sake, don't leave small children or pets unintended or gagging will ensue. Filed under random things to see in Seattle. read more

Preface. Here's an interesting article in regards to how this "Gum Wall" began. http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the-seattle-gum-wall-a-sticky-attraction.html The Seattle Gum Wall - A Sticky Attraction By Spooky on March 23rd, 2010 Category: Pics, Travel One of the most offbeat attractions in the United States, the Seattle Gum Wall is also one of the most germ infected tourist spot in the world. Located in Post Alley, under Park Place Market, the Gum Wall has its beginning in the early 1990s, when people, irritated that they had to wait in line to get tickets to the theater, stuck chewing gum on the wall. At first, they would use the gum to stick small coins to the wall, but in time, the tradition of the coins disappeared, and the gum remained. Theater attendants scraped the Gum Wall twice, but gave up in 1999, when it became a certified tourist attraction of Seattle. Now it is filled with thousands of pieces of chewing gum, of any color imaginable. And, as the wall grows, the chewing gum art becomes more sophisticated. You'll find names written with pieces of gum, and symbols like hearts or the peace sign. But, the Seattle Gum Wall is also one of the germiest tourist destinations on Earth. In a ranking made by Trip Advisor, it came in second place, after Ireland's Blarney Stone. Now that you know the history, here are my opinions. Yes I am a fan basically because of the oddball attraction. I used to live in the Renton area from 1980 to 1999 and moved to Anaheim, Ca (Yes, I was a Disneyland Season Passholder for about 5 years with my family but now its so damn expensive but that's another story). Ironically the year I left is when this attraction started. This attraction should be a regular part of your tour here besides Pike Place Market, the first Starbucks, and the Seattle Great Wheel (which is their rotating observation wheel on the waterfront) which are all walking distance of each other. In closing, there is definitely nothing like this anywhere. With how unsanitary it is im not sure that is a good thing. On a side note, do a search on youtube for gum wall and you will come across at least 5 videos of people that were either stupid enough or just didn't care by proceeding to lick the wall and/or taking gum off of it to chew it. Definitely don't watch it after just having a meal. One thing is for sure. Once you experience this place you will never look at or chew gum the same way you did before without getting a flashback of this place. I'm surprised there is no vendor with some kind of cart selling nothing but strictly gum anywhere in the alley. They would definitely make a killing. Yelp 2015 Review #48 "Bring plenty of sanitizer!" 548 overall read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Oh man... I didn't want to get too close but I did. It's something that you have to see. When you walk into Pike's Place Market, you'll see the fish guys. Just go left toward the back and around the corner. It is kinda a little maze to get there but you can just ask. It's definitely one of the sights to see at the Market. Many of the gum pieces have morphed into what looks like stalagmites in a cave hanging off of the window sills. With the precipitous weather of Seattle, you can smell the sugar in the air from the thousands and thousands of gum pieces that create this wall. It doesn't take a lot of your time to see the wall of goo so just walk by... maybe leave your mark! read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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So...you had your picture taken with the pig and the market sign, you got coffee, you saw them toss a fish...now what? Go visit the scuzzy gum wall just down the steps from the pig - of course! Children find this very entertaining. Today my kids found an Adventure Time mosaic toward the northern border of the wall and thought it was fantastic. I find it akin to a horror film. For instance, today I watched a small child go and rub his hands all over the wall. Like I normally do in a horror film, I covered my face so I wouldn't see what happened next. I also gag several times while I'm here. That's a unique experience in and of itself as it takes a bit to make me gag. To those who don't think it's big enough (????): other than asking you 'WHY?', I am able to report progress is being made on the wall opposite. I'll go lay down now. read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

1. Yes. It's gross. 2. It's everywhere. 3. Sometimes you're puzzled how some gum got so high too. 4. You can become part of history by sticking your germs on the wall. 5. I put me and my fiance's SAVE THE DATE on the wall. Woot. 6. When the gum dries... it looks like condoms! Highly recommend it because of the WEIRD factor. Highly recommend you have hand sanitizer. read more

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A friend of ours came up to visit us from Portland about a year ago and wanted us to take them to the Gum wall. I honestly never heard of it and was kinda put off by it but I was like "what the hell, sure." It was a bit hard to look for since there were no signs leading to it, but we eventually found it. I didnt really know what to expect but once we got there, I was pretty much in awe. You wouldnt think pieces of chewed up gum on a wall would look cool, but it actually does. The different colors just made it look amazing. Just thinking about it, its kinda disgusting but dont let that put you off. This is definitely a must see while visiting Pikes Market. Make sure to chew some gum and so that you can make your own little contribution to the wall. Just don't get too close to the wall cause that would be gross. read more

The Gum Wall - Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I just don't understand who would start this. Why didn't anyone clean it up when it was just gum ON the wall?? I know my sister says it's ART to appreciate. I heard a little girl say it smells good too. I thought she was going to lick it!!! I just think of all the germs it must have. Good grief! But I added to it anyways. I am a hippocrate! Anyways, I couldn't find it for a while. Hopefully my review will help you. To get there start facing Pike Place sign with the golden pig on the left side of the entrance. Fish market on left. Flower ladies on right. Walk forward and to your left will be a staircase with a chain fence. Go down it. Turn right and look up. There is the market theater sign. Walk forward to Ghost Espresso. Turn left and walk down. The gum starts to show with some art. Keep walking and behold the wall of gum. Good luck! Bring gum! read more

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There's a Pop Culture Master's Thesis sticking to these walls. I love thinking about the intersection of folk art and public space and all the conflictng interests therein. It's something to see and something to observe and a place to observe people see if you can dig it. Overall you can't go wrong swinging through this alley. It's central to everything and is just one of those folksy cool things that makes life interesting. read more

Exactly what you expect: Gum + Wall. Refrain from licking, chewing, touching, feeling up, tasting, sampling, mixing then eating, rubbing, kicking barefoot, placing face on or getting hair stuck on wall; and no matter what you hear, do not take gum off wall. I've seen all the above (seriously). One word: Biohazard. Don't go when it's raining. I discovered it's not as fun as you might think. If you have germophobia, don't bother, you will either pass out, which in turn you will end up on the gum wall itself when you fall over, or have nightmares for the rest of your life. Recommendation: Bring pack of gum, a friend, camera, and hand sanitizer or hospital quality latex examination gloves. read more

Here is my claim to fame and a true story. I helped start the Gum Wall in Seattle. Back in 1996-1998 a group of friends, my to be wife, and I would regularly go to Unexpected Productions Improv. During this time Joel McHale (Community College actor) was a regular on stage. Some years later I saw him on a commercial and said, "I know him from the Improv in Seattle." Anyway, so while we waiting in line in Post Alley for the doors to open we would monkey around. Of the many inappropriate things we would do, we would see how high up the wall we could climb to put our gum. At the time, there was no gum on the wall and it was definitely frowned upon. Fast forward 20 years and the walls look nothing like they did back then. It is hard to find any visual brick in the alley. Of course some of the heaviest gum deposits reside outside Unexpected Productions Improv. That is not a surprise. What did I learn today? Someone taking a photo of the wall inadvertently got a picture of one of the founding fathers without even knowing. read more

Love it, me and my boyfriend went together. It was his first time there and he really enjoyed seeing the history of people leaving their gum behind on the gum wall. Along with putting gum on the wall with me as well! read more

It's baaaaack! We were so sad when they steamed all the gum off the gum wall - all two tons of it (blech). It's one of my favorite places to take visitors, because it's kind of random, very Seattle, and definitely memorable. The gum wall without gum is just an alley of the sort you'd expect to be mugged in. It didn't take very long for the gum to re-appear, and the walls on which it is stuck to disappear beneath it all. I don't know how many tons it's up to, but there's quite a bit of gum going on once again. Bring your friends, bring your gum, and bring some disinfectant! read more

It's a wall of gum. It smells exactly how you would expect a wall of gum to smell. It had way more gum on it before they cleaned all of it off back in 2015. So now it's easier to find spaces to stick your ABC gum. People stick their business cards on it because it's a viable strategy to win more clients? It makes for a decent photo. But it damn sure is disgusting. read more

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It's certainly not any more esoteric than the name and any good photo would suggest. It's the underside of an elementary school desk spun 90 degrees and writ large for the attempted bemusement of tourists (and locals, too, evidently). In a way, it has achieved a strange synthetic beauty as all that artificially colored flotsam and jetsam from the mouths of strangers comes to rest. There's nothing about it that should be appealing or interesting, but there it is. In a way, this thing is kind of what my own personality needs Yelp for. I passed this wall countless times and thought "wow, that's peculiar, and pretty gross." But opening access to the hive mind and letting everyone weigh in on what a peculiar process this represents, that makes me step back and realize just how memorable this is. And today, when I am in the market with younger folks or anyone else whose sense of humor would dig on the gum wall, I remember now to ask them if they've seen it. read more

This is apparently the second most unhygienic tourist attraction* in the world. Nice work, Seattle! It's a really fun place to take tourists to, since they'll be at Pike Place Market anyway. I mean, it's an interactive tourist attraction, if you contribute to the wall. It's also fun for people-watching, when others contribute to the wall. Apparently the gum wall does get cleaned with a power washer on a regular basis, or else Post Alley would be WAAAAY narrower. That said, there are some really old, faded blobs of gum that have stood the test of time and power washing. Unsurprisingly, there are flies, fruit flies, bees, etc. in the area. Bring hand sanitizer. *The #1 spot for unhygienic tourist attraction goes to the Blarney Stone. Yum. read more

Although it's pretty gross, the picture quality comes out nicely! Make sure to bring some BUBBLEGUM to make your mark on the wall! I brought a pack of Juicy Fruits and had to chew THREE strips of those. Only managed to blow a tiny bubble but the picture still came out great :) It's also fun to watch other tourists struggling to come up with good gum picture moments. read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

There is more than one wall in this alley, so I guess the name is slightly off, but gum wall sounds better than gum alley. Either way, it's an alley with brick walls, covered in gum. My kids were amazed the first time we walked through here, and we had to trick my wife into walking down this alley (she wasn't with us the first time) so that my 6 year old could make a donation (this made her trip complete). It smells fruitilicious, and although "they" clean these walls from time to time, it builds back up pretty quick. Be careful while walking down the alley, because it can get slippery when wet ... however, if you do fall, aim for the walls because you'll stick and avoid hitting the hard ground. read more

The Gum Wall - Gum on Brick, by various artists... - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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It gets grosser ever time I come. Had I written this review a year ago I would have given it a higher rating. The majestic nature of a gum covered wall decreases to health concerns and questioning what exactly I am stepping on a tad bit more every time I come down. I have this theory that the wall goes through fads. What was once only gum has turned into coins, student ID cards, and business cards fastened to the wall with gum. The business card trend was first, then came the coins, and now I see a bunch of ID cards from local high schools and far away universities. I love that the wall is located down a staircase right by the fish throwers at Pike Place. It is a 5-minute diversion, but don't forget to bring gum! Lots of it! read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Hahahaha, there's so much gum on the walls, it's hilarious to see the little art things people make out of their gum. read more

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This is totally out of control, went for a Sammich and had to stumble down to Post Alley But I love it, this has really grown over the years wish I had some before shots, I took a few new ones today, as for people who find this gross then don't go what did you think a gum wall was gonna be ? read more

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A place to check out that cool yet grosses you out lol. A while wall of gum! Despite the saliva everywhere I also placed my gum in the wall. Cool Alley to walk through and kind of hidden, it's right below the pike place market. read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I feel so dirty. I feel like I'm going to hurl. Throwback to that time when you were sitting at your desk in elementary school or that lunch table in middle school and your hand touches someone's spit-infused and salivated-on piece of old gum that they naughtily stuck under the table and you're already grossed out and ahhhh cooties! The gum wall is an infinite times worse. It is visually cool and pictures come out neat but thinking about the oh-so-many microorganisms and bacteria buildup and hundreds and thousands of different kinds of old gum...those hanging like they're dripping/stretched or those that are imprinted onto the cement walk....Gag. I need to throw all my clothes away and give myself a deep cleanse/shower or 2. I suppose if you've never visited the gum wall/you're a tourist, it's kind of obligatory to go ONE time, but just the one time only and then never again. I found the easiest way to reach the gum wall was to go thru the alley on the left side of the grand Pike's Place Market entrance. It's hard to miss (see my picture)! read more

The Gum Wall - Easiest way to find the Gum Wall! This alley is right next to the front of Pike's Pl Market (Gum wall at bottom, to the left) - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Located below the 'Public Market Center' and 'Farmers Market' sign. Walk down the stairs next to 'Rachel the Pig' statue and you should see Ghost Alley Espresso. The alley walls are filled with colorful, sticky, used gum. To be honest, it is quite a gross concept for people to be oooh-ing, ahhh-ing and snapping pictures in front of. I was immediately intrigued and disgusted by all of the pieces of gum, trash, etc. on the wall but I could not look away. I added my mark to the gum wall, took a few pictures, and left as I saw a large crowd approaching. I doubt that you have ever seen multiple walls covered from head to toe with a mass amount of gum, so why not stop by and look for yourself! Even if this site is not to your liking, there are plenty more sites to see and visit around the Public Market. read more

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The gum wall was smaller than I thought. I'm curious as to how it was started... Anyway, I was kind of sad I forgot my gum in the car so I wasn't able to leave my mark. This is an intriguing backdrop for a photo and I definitely suggest stopping by! read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Kind of odd writing a review for a wall of gum, but I visited, so now I write. The idea is cool, not as interesting as I thought it'd be, I liked the artwork on the opposite wall though. Stop by if you're already right there, but don't go out of your way! I am lame (or not) and did not chew and stick my own piece of gum on the wall. read more

It's not a must-see for everyone, and I think it's kinda gross, but somehow, interesting. Like a train wreck. You just HAVE to look. The alley has a hint of garbage smell, more of urine. But you wouldn't notice it once you start paying attention to the gum and the creative things people do with it. The opposite wall with the sign NOT to stick gum, is also covered with gum, with people spelling out their names, or sticking their business cards. Somehow, you wonder how could someone let this happen? Deface property and ruin a perfectly good wall? Then you go and carefully place your chewed gum right there with everyone else's. Try not to touch anything else when you do that. read more

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So worth the visit! I mean, it is free and you're probably going to be at Pike Place anyway, so why not? I was simultaneously in awe and disgust at the layers upon layers of dried up germ wads. I had to resist the urge to run my fingers along it, lest I accidentally touch a fresh one. Scour the walls for interesting gum art! There are some really creative people out there...and then there are the ones that make gum dicks. The gum provides a great backdrop for pictures, but since it is an alley, lighting can be a bit of an issue. There was a window ledge with gum "dripping" from it, and I cringed as a taller guy's hair brushed against it as he posed for a photo. Talk about a sticky situation. Do bring your own gum to add to the wall! I don't think my jaw could handle chewing enough gum to make an actual picture, but leaving a tangible piece of you in this walkway is pretty cool. read more

I go to school in San Luis Obispo so I've seen a gum wall before, but the Pike Place Market Gum Wall was a whole nother thing. The alleyway was much larger than the bubblegum alley in SLO, and longer! I've never seen so much gum in one place in my life...it was quite amazing, yet horrifying at the same time. If anyone wants to brighten up their night, visit the Pike Place Market Gum Wall and contribute something! That or just stare in awe at all the colors or play an I-spy game... read more

The Gum Wall - a work of art - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Gum wall....sounds disgusting. But its actually a popular tourist attraction! I lived in WA for many years and heard of the gum wall---been down to Pike Market many times but hadn't looked for the (in)famous wall. After a short visit to Seattle, I decided to check it out. Hah! It was as disgusting as I thought. But it was also kinda fun. It smelt like gum and it sure was gum...EVERYWHERE. Should be renamed Gum Alley :) Of course, I left my gum there too. I recommend visiting this alley. Located (has a sign) down Ghost Alley---you can enter the market and walk down the narrow stairs (right before the throwing fish). Make sure to bring sanitizer....you'll walk away wanting to disinfect yourself---but will more than likely leave chuckling to yourself that you actually visited the place and took photos. Enjoy! read more

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If you're going to the Pike Place Market as a tourist, this is one thing everyone suggests that you see. I have heard that there is history behind the reason it even exists, but for me it's just kinda funny that people actually like taking pictures of it and touching it, knowing it should be kinda gross but still take selfies near it or touch it. So I go It's a good place to bring a tourist to because it's infamous-- it really should be part of the itinerary. It's just one way Washingtonians show people their creativity. Also, the stairs that lead down to the place always have new funny posters up, so I look forward to those too This year, it's full of images of Donald Trump. I'm gonna leave it at that. read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Nasty! Why the hell is this a thing?! What type of city government sees something like this starting to develop, and decides to keep it instead of cleaning it up?! God, I was disgusted walking down this alley and felt like showering when I left. read more

Gritty, urban, weird, a bit nauseating-these are the words that I would use to describe the alleyway, not just a wall, of chewed gum. My advice? Don't breathe because it smells weird. Like mint, bubblegum, and stale spit. Don't lose your balance or you will end up falling over into sticky chewed gum. It's like a Willy Wonka room of nightmares. I don't know the origin of this alleyway, but I'm sure it's a fun story. This is a free, yet very quirky, local tourist attraction so go see it if you're in the area. I didn't add a piece of my own chewing gum since I didn't want to touch anything. Gotta love Seattle just for weird things like this! read more

The Gum Wall - All gum! - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Grab a pack of gum and head downtown Seattle. This is one seriously sticky landmark that will easily give any true 'germaphobe' a heart attack. The 'must see' Gum Wall is something you'll either love, hate, or simply be grossed out by. Personally, I thought it was colorful and interesting and the 'yuck' factor didn't scare me away. I chewed my gum and plopped it on the wall and called it day. Getting to the Gum Wall is as easy-peasy- lemon-squeezey. Just find the the information booth on the corner of First and Pike and follow the gummy-brick road down to the Market Theatre to do your thing. The wall is located in 'Post Alley' and is literally steps away from Pike Place Market (another MUST do when you visit Seattle). You can easily hit up two hot tourists spots without breaking a sweat. Grab a Starbucks coffee and splash around in rain puddles to make a full day of fun downtown. Come here to chew some gum and stick in on the layers and layers of existing gum to leave your own personal mark on Seattle. It's a thing here. Don't be the party pooper. Just do it. I did. I loved it. You should try it. read more

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Him (as I'm literally dragging him down the ramp): "Ohhellnothatsoundssof'inggrosswhythehellwouldwewantoseesomethinglikethatyouknowyou'llstartgaggingand............Oh hey! This is pretty cool!" Yes. Yes. Yes, it was! So wonderfully disgusting! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pike-place-market-gum-wall-seattle?select=xZUtGz_lUXjpyhcI3OQEag#xZUtGz_lUXjpyhcI3OQEag read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Coming all the way from Texas, I just had to put my gum on the wall! It's gross to even think about all that gum. But hey, it's kinda colorful. Great place to take pictures, just don't get too close to the wall. read more

So much fun taking pictures by here! It's definitely an iconic place to go when in Seattle. It's a strangely nice backdrop for photos, and quite a sight to see in person! I think they cleaned it recently though because one wall doesn't have as much gum as the others. Also, beware of random cars that drive down the alley. I wasn't expecting that and we all had no choice but to hover dangerously close to the gum! Another word of caution: try not to look at the floor near the wall when you're there (but now I said it and you're going to look! Hahah) read more

The Gum Wall - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Yeah, we're Americans. Yeah, we're disgusting and rather put used gum on walls than pretty locks on fences. Pretty sketchy looking place too but what'd you expect from an alley? But it's the gum wall. Come here, take a selfie, and move along. read more

The Gum Wall - Yeah, we Americans are gross. - Local Flavor Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The wall of gums from all over the world! The wall is splattered with the colors of the rainbow and all includes the saliva from that special someone. The gum wall is located underneath the Pike Place market and it is also called Ghost ally I believe. The wall can be a disgusting mess or a work of art. Try not to bring your kid here. I saw a little boy run his hands along the entire wall as he was walking behind his parents. Hopefully that little boy didn't catch any diseases. read more

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I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... And I'm all out of bubblegum. read more

The gum wall is located to the left of the Public Market Center sign (if you're facing the sign). It's nice to visit the gum wall for a photo opt and to actually place your gum somewhere on the wall. Honestly you get over it pretty quickly like any other touristy spot but it's centrally located so definitely go ahead and visit! read more

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