For the first time in two decades, the “gum wall” at the Market Theater in Seattle is bubble gum free. Well it was for about a day.
Officials say the gum collected “filled 94 gallon buckets and weighed nearly 2,350 pounds or 1.75 tons.” They also made sure to point out that “all the gum will be thrown away.”
The wall is 15 feet high and spans a distance of 50 feet. Before the cleaning, parts of the wall were covered several inches thick.
It didn’t long for gum to find its way back onto the wall after the cleanup. A group of people started to “re-gum” the famous wall not long after workers complete the 130-hour job. The group fashioned a peace sign with the center forming an Eiffel Tower in gum.
History Of The Market Theater Gum Wall
The Market Theater Gum Wall is located in an alleyway in downtown Seattle. The wall is by the box office for the Market Theater and is a popular local landmark.
The tradition began back in 1993 when patrons of the theater stuck gum to the wall and placed coins in the gum blobs. Theater workers scraped the gum away each time but eventually gave up. People then began to create small works of art out of gum.
The gum wall was named one of the top 5 germiest tourist attractions in 2009.
The Market Theater Gum Wall Before The Cleaning
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