Page 26 - Demo

26 WINTER 2025 slovisitorsguide.com
San Luis Obispo
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Bubblegum Alley: A sweet and sticky
San Luis Obispo landmark
Bubblegum Alley is a tourist at-
traction in downtown San Luis
Obispo, California, known for its
accumulation of used bubble gum on
the walls of an alley. Located in the 700
block of Higuera Street, the 15-foot-
high and 70-foot-long alley is lined
with chewed gum left by passers-by.
It’s not completely clear how
bubblegum alley got started Some
historians believe that the tradition of
putting gum in the alley started after
WWII as a San Luis Obispo High
School graduating class event. Others
believe it started in the late 1950s, as
rivalry between San Luis Obispo High
School and California Polytechnic
State University students. By the 1970s,
Bubblegum Alley was well established
Unique tourist
attraction where
memories stick
around
and has survived two thorough clean-
ings.
Throughout the years, San Luis
Obispo’s Bubblegum Alley has been
featured on a number of television
shows, news programs, and in news-
papers around the world such as the
New York times and the Los Angeles
Times, The San Francisco Chronicle
and Ripley’s Believe it or Not. “Weird
Al” Yankovic mentioned Bubblegum
Alley in his 1978 song “Take Me
Down,” an ode to San Luis Obispo.
Our local Bubblegum Alley shares
fame with its Seattle counterpart; the
only two such landmarks on the West
Coast.
Agreement whether these gum-
covered walls should remain a part
of quaint downtown San Luis Obispo
has not been reached since its found-
ing. While some locals consider this
alley to be an “eyesore,” the Chamber
of Commerce lists it as a “special
attraction.” Store owners’ complaints
concerning upkeep are countered by
the argument that it increases foot traf-
fic and business.
The Alley has inspired professional
artists such as Matthew Hoffman. On
the east end of the alley, up high on the
north-facing wall, a giant self-portrait
of Hoffman titled “Projectbubble
Gum” is created entirely with bubble
gum. The picture of the artist blow-
ing a bubble required a tremendous
amount of gum, which he was able to
get with the help of the community.
Bubblegum Alley has a four-star
Yelp rating for Landmarks & Histori-
cal Buildings. Here’s what some of the
visitors have had to say :
“It was in 2009 when a Sagittarius
man brought me to this yummi candy
smelling alley. At first I was confused
then I realized he liked me. He actually
failed miserably not to kiss me.” Laura
N., Huntington Beach, CA
“My 9-year-old found it equal parts
fascinating and gross but she managed
to spell out her first name in gum
nonetheless.” Rich G., Los Angeles, CA
“It's cool to find unique and weird
tourist attractions like this, people
from all over coming to find the
infamous SLO Bubblegum alley and
claim their spot on the wall with their
minty fresh gum!” Adriana B. Santa
Clara, CA.
Be sure to arrive with a good supply
of gum! —Skye Pratt
Bubblegum Alley has a four-start Yelp ranking.