Gum Alley — Attraction in San Luis Obispo

🧱🍬 Review: Bubblegum Alley San Luis Obispo’s Sticky Spectacle 🤩🎨

💥 It’s wild. It’s weird. It’s wonderfully wacky. Bubblegum Alley isn’t just a wall it’s a full-on sensory experience, where thousands of chewers have left their mark in technicolor goo. 🤯🫠

🎨 Visual Mayhem: Imagine a narrow alley bursting with bubblegum in every shade neon pinks, minty greens, electric blues. Names, hearts, peace signs, and even full-on gum graffiti. It’s part art installation, part community collage. 🖌️💋🧩

📸 Photo Ops: Whether you strike a pose, blow a bubble, or just marvel at the madness, it’s a must-snap moment. Bonus: the lighting makes the gum shimmer like a sticky rainbow. 📷🌈👟

🧠 Fun Facts: Started in the 1950s and never stopped locals embraced the chaos, and now it’s a beloved landmark. It’s about 70 feet long and 15 feet high… that’s a lot of gum. 🧱🧃📏

👃 Sensory Surprise: Smells like a candy store collided with a dare. Sounds like giggles, gasps, and the occasional “ewww!” 🤭🍓🎧

🎯 Why It’s Worth a Visit: It’s quirky, colorful, and totally unique to SLO. You’ll laugh, cringe, and maybe even contribute your own chewy masterpiece. 🫵🫒🧱

🌟 Final Pop: Bubblegum Alley is San Luis Obispo’s ode to the absurd a sticky celebration of self-expression, community, and unapologetic weirdness. Come for the gum, stay for the...

Gum Alley in San Luis Obispo is a truly unique and memorable spot! It's not hard to find, located right next to a restaurant. As you step into the alley, you're immediately greeted by a distinct, sweet, almost perfumed scent – a blend of countless chewing gums.

This 70-foot long alley is a must-do "photo op" and a quintessential SLO experience: sticking your own piece of gum to the wall is the ultimate way to mark your visit. It's wonderfully quirky and a fun, interactive landmark.

However, I do have to vent a bit about the parking in SLO's Old Town. It's quite frustrating that you need to download an app or log in via your phone to pay for parking. While the fees aren't expensive, the process is incredibly cumbersome. I really miss the old street meters where you could just drop in quarters. SLO could definitely consider bringing those back; sometimes, nostalgia isn't just about old buildings, but also about simple, familiar conveniences.

Despite the parking hassle, Gum Alley itself is a fun, quick stop that adds to the unique charm of San...

This wall has been an Icon for many years. When I was growing up it wasn’t as full. Then years later going to Cosmetology School at Fay’s on Marsh St. in 1977, it began to explode and I have put quite a few pieces of chewed gum on that wall. It’s been a huge piece of San Luis Obispo history, where you can contribute to history by chewing a simple piece of gum! Unfortunately the gum is beginning to fall off the wall onto the walkway, which we all used to use as a shortcut when we were on Marsh St. wanting to get to Higuera. Maybe they changed the ingredients in gum after all these years? I don’t know but I do know I wouldn’t walk down the corridor there now. They have even put gum on the plaque declaring it’s place in history. That’s just plain rude. I hope that the city will find some way to preserve this and clean up the plaque and maybe people will be more respectful in the future. Yes it’s just chewed gum to the average person but to us who lived and worked and went to school there it’s memories of how San...