Bubble Gum Alley
add photos20 Reviews for Bubble Gum Alley
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50 families found this helpful
"a once in a lifetime experience"
If you are here you should go, because it is free and a crazy thing to do. Every body should see this fun exhibit of what local college kids can dream up. Maybe even add to the exhibit if you are so inclined. We went in the evening after eating at a great nearby pizza place.
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0 families found this helpful
"A weird and gross landmark"
Growing up in this lovely town there have been a number of things i have done. This is one place that i have visited quite a bit. I went with friends when i was in junior high or so, i have been with different groups of kids as well. I even have some older family members who remember putting gum in the alley when they were in their youth. You can see years sculpted out with gum higher up on the wall, a little look back into history.
One thing i would tell you before going, make sure your bring along some wipes or antibacterial gel/spray, and shoes that don't slip off easily.. Oh and dont forget your piece of chewing gum to add to the wall.
'11, '12
0 families found this helpful
"good "clean" fun..."
Bubble gum alley is not something you want to go out of your way to visit, BUT if you are in down town San Luis Obispo with the kids and you should definitely check it out on a Thursday night for farmers market, then this is a fun little alley to seek out. Buy a pack of bubble gum, let the kids chew it and stick it to the wall. It's especially great if you have kids who love things that make them go, "eeewwww!"
0 families found this helpful
"Gross, but not to be missed"
So all this is is a little alley where people have decided to discard of their nasty used gum. But have to admit, I've done it - and more than once. It is fun to bring the kids, have them chew & discard their gum, even make a little picture with the gum. Just be sure to bring some hand sanitizer to clean up afterwards.
0 families found this helpful
"SLO Culture at Its Best"
OK, so it's really gross, but who can miss a chance to view the wall o' gum? We happened across the wall while exploring downtown. You kind of have to see it to believe it. Gum as high as a person can reach, stretching straight down an alley. And it smells like gum, too.
1 family found this helpful
"An icky, sticky mess!"
I've grown up in SLO town, so bubblegum alley is an iconic alley here that I used to find so fun. However, now that I'm a parent, I think it's disgusting. The whole alley is filled from top to bottom with other people's bubble gum (on the ground too) so actually walking down the alley isn't really a possibility if you want to keep your shoes gum-free. I'm sure my kiddos would love to place their own piece of gum on the wall to find whenever we visit, and maybe when they're a little older we will, but for now, no thanks!
0 families found this helpful
"Ummm, yuck!"
My daughter loves to walk through bubble gum alley but I find it rather, well, gross. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to visit bubble gum alley but if you are already downtown SLO, you might as well give it a go. Kids seem to think it is great.
0 families found this helpful
"Unique!"
Not sure why anyone would give this anything except 5 stars because there really is nothing like it! Yes, it is a bit gross I suppose as it's everyone's chewed gum...but it is a MUST SEE! This spot is known for people being photographed in front of it because it is really that unique! GO!
1 family found this helpful
"What fun!"
THis is a very fun and very disgusting landmark in SLO. It is basically a street with a large wall that has litteraly been spackled with bubble gum. Every color and type of gum can be found in this landmark. It is fun for the little kids to gaze up at but parents proably notice how gross it really is and has become over the years. It's free, so what more can you ask for?
0 families found this helpful
"Chewed up gum display"
This is the only place I know that makes an alley decorated with chewed up gum a tourist attraction! But it's definitely something to see, thats for sure! Right in downtown SLO, you can't miss this little alley. Make sure you make sure the kiddos don't brush against the walls... ewww. But chew some gum and make your own personal mark in history!!!
0 families found this helpful
"Yuk - no wait, yuk art?"
Icky, gooey, and smelly.
Hold on a second! What's this I see? Little pieces of artistic expression! Wow!
If you can get past the smell and the idea of looking at rotting gum you will find little nuggets of artistic glory squished into the side of these buildings.
1 family found this helpful
"EWWWW but it is cool"
This is the strangest thing I have ever seen. The kids love to go and visit the gross bubble gum wall and add their piece of gum to the display. It is an entire alley with gum covering both walls on either side of you. Be sure to have gum handy and try to make something cool out of your piece of gum.
0 families found this helpful
"Neat"
Bubble Gum Alley in San Luis Obispo is exactly what it sounds like- an alley way covered in chewed up bubble gum! It's a little yucky, but really cool to look at nevertheless. My son loves looking at all of the different colors of bubble gum, but I have to be careful to keep him from touching it!
1 family found this helpful
"Fun and gross at the same time"
My problem with bubble gun alley is that I really do not like gum and the smell of that used gum really makes my stomach feel queasy. The kids think bubble gum alley is great. They love to see the patterns people have made with chewed gum. The biggest parent stress-point is going to be keeping them from touching the walls. It is a really fun place to take pictures.
0 families found this helpful
"Yuck"
Personally, I find 1,000's of pieces of bubble gum stuck an alley wall disgusting. I don't get the allure of this "attraction". I certainly wouldn't take my children there. I guess it could be mildly entertaining for the tween/teen crowd, but I would be afraid my toddler would try and touch something!
1 family found this helpful
"Icky, Sticky Mess"
The only upside to bubble gum alley is that if you put a piece of gum there, you can go back and try to find it years later. When I was a kid I did this and thought it was a blast, but now, as a parent, I think it's gross. I remember it being a lot cleaner when I was little, but now their is gum all over the ground and I definitely don't want my kiddos touching other people's gum. If you go, take a bottle of hand sanitizer with you.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
Before leaving downtown, you must seek out a relic you’ll probably hate and your kids will undoubtedly love. Since the late 1950s, locals (mostly collegians) and visitors alike have been depositing their used gum on the narrow alley walls. Folk art or disgusting nuisance, who’s to say, for this representation (it’s the one and only) has been featured in Smithsonian magazine and on the Ripley’s Believe It or Not TV show. Care to leave your sticky imprint? Let your taste decide.
1 family found this helpful
"Gives you a yucky feeling"
We were in San Luis Obispo and decided to go check the alley. We found it quite disgusting. I would not even want to walk along the alley, it is just not something I enjoyed looking at. Even my children (two girls I have to admit) did not like it. If you are in the area, check it out to have your own opinion though.
1 family found this helpful
"Hey, at least it's free"
Come add some yucky chewed up gum to the wall at Bubble Gum Alley while you shop downtown. Nearby there is a Gap, Jamba Juice, Crate & Barrel, several coffee shops including a Starbucks, a multi-screen movie theater, Sports Authority, and the Apple Store.
1 family found this helpful
"fun with the ooey gooey!"
If you're in San Luis Obispo, swing by Bubble Gum Alley. It's a small alleyway with layers of chewed up bubble gum graffiti on the brick walls. Bring a pack of gum to make your family mark!
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