Origin and cleaning of the Post Alley Gum Wall

The Gum Wall in Post Alley began in the early 1990s when patrons of the adjacent Market Theater started sticking chewed gum to the brick wall while waiting for shows; it later became a persistent and photographed tourist attraction. The installation was allowed to grow until 2015, when the City and market stakeholders pressure-washed the wall clean; visitors quickly began adding new gum afterward. The Gum Wall is often cited in stories about spontaneous public art and urban folklore in Seattle.