The Gum Wall
4.2(14K)google
City Landmark
Overview
Tucked away mysteriously down a historic brick alleyway immediately beneath Pike Place Market, The Gum Wall is an eccentric, colorful, and fiercely controversial piece of crowd-sourced public art. Initiated accidentally in the early 1990s by patrons waiting in line for a local theater box office, the brick walls are now completely blanketed in thousands of pieces of colorful, stretched chewing gum. Spanning over fifty feet and heavily infused with small coins, photographs, and personalized notes, it represents a bizarre, highly interactive cultural phenomenon that attracts millions of curious travelers and photographers.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration15-30 minutes
Best TimeVisiting during midday or early afternoon is recommended when natural light manages to filter down the narrow alleyway. This makes it easier to photograph the colorful, visually striking (and distinctly scented) wall. Bring your own gum!
Getting ThereHidden in the lower alleyway of Pike Place Market. From the famous fish market stall, locate the stairs leading downstairs to the Lower Post Alley. Walk down into the brick corridor, and you will see it in a few steps.
Travel Tips
- Located in Post Alley below Pike Place Market, this quirky landmark smells strongly of sweet chewing gum and makes for a famous, colorful photo op.
- The wall carries significant bacteria, so avoid pressing your bare skin or clothes directly against it. Bring your own gum if you want to leave a personal contribution.
- The alleyway is narrow and heavily shaded. For vibrant, colorful, and sharp photos, visit around noon when natural light is at its peak, or bring a portable fill light.
- The alley smells intensely sweet and artificial from the layers of old gum. If you are sensitive to strong odors, wear a mask or keep your visit brief to avoid discomfort.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- Germ and bacteria counts here are exceptionally high. Avoid letting your hair, clothes, or bare skin touch the wall, and use hand sanitizer immediately after taking photos.
Reviews
Positive
- A highly unique and colorful sight hidden in an alley next to Pike Place Market, making it an iconic photo spot in Seattle.
- Though it sounds a bit off-putting, walking into the alley surrounds you with a strong, sweet bubblegum scent, which is surprisingly pleasant.
- As an interactive piece of public modern art, you can actually participate by sticking your chewed gum onto the brick wall.
- No tickets are required and it's open 24/7 for free, making it well worth a quick ten-minute detour when you are in the area.
- The brick walls on both sides of the alley are packed with thousands of colorful gum pieces, offering a striking and unique visual that truly lives up to its global fame.
- Belonging entirely to a public street-side alley, it is open 24/7 for free; contributing your own gum and taking photos freely gives its value a top score.
- Hidden right underneath the main market building, it takes just a short descent down stairs to reach—accessibility is easy, flanked by rich amenities.
- It retains a thick Seattle underground subculture vibe; despite the crowds, the alley extends deep, making interactive exploration highly engaging.
Heads up
- It is genuinely gross and unhygienic with layers of other people's spit-covered gum; definitely skip this if you hate germs.
- The narrow Post Alley is quite dark, and the cobblestones get very slippery from old gum and liquid residue, so watch your step.
- There are no health warning signs or safety guides around, and during peak crowds, it is easy to accidentally brush your clothes against the sticky walls.
- There is nothing to see except this single sticky wall, and the surrounding area feels overly commercialized with tourist-trap souvenir stalls.
- The narrow alley traps a highly intense, sweet syrup odor mixed with stagnant saliva; the air is terrible, and clean-conscious tourists flee immediately.
- The site suffers from severe sanitary blindspots; empty gum wrappers and plastic caps litter the ground without active staff cleanup or enforcement.
- The narrow path lacks accessible tracking; the old brick floor is highly uneven and slippery, making strollers or wheelchairs a complete nightmare.
- Peak hours bring frustrating crowd densities with columns of viral self-stick posers blocking paths, breaking any calm to make quick visits feel boring.