Seattle’s Gum Wall Getting Scraped Clean, Recreated

Seattle’s Market Theatre Gum Wall will soon be scraped clean of the thousands of multi-colored pieces of the chewed gum that has been collecting on its surface over the last 20 years.

Seattle’s Gum Wall

The cleaning was announced on The Gum Wall Pike Place Market Facebook page earlier this month.

“For the first time in 20 YEARS, I’m due for a total scrub down. Just like you, all that sugar can really mess up the surface of your bricks, er, teeth,” reads the post. “I have to admit, after 20 years, I’m feeling a little icky, sticky and in desperate need of a good scrubbing to make me sparkle again.”

The process of cleaning the wall, which will last a number of days, began on Tuesday. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back,” read a new Facebook post with pictures of the wall about to be cleaned. “I am ready to start my 4th incarnation.”

The Gum Wall officially came into being around 1993, as a result of the Market Theater improv comedy group Unexpected Production sticking their used gum on the bricks outside. In the years since, it’s become a popular spot for tourists, with the city of Seattle declaring it a local attraction in 1999. It has grown more than 50ft wide and 9ft high.

After its cleaning, the Gum Wall is expected to be repopulated with new colorful pieces of chewed gum.