Updated Jun 11, 2009 - 5:02 pm
Seattle Gum Wall ranks in top 5 "Germiest Attractions"
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MyNorthwest.com
Seattle's Gum Wall has been ranked among the world's top five "Germiest Attractions." In a list released Thursday by TripAdvisor, the popular attraction, located outside the Market Theatre at Pike Place Market, comes in at #2, following Ireland's Blarney Stone in the top spot.
Market Theatre Managing Director Jay Hitts says even though some think it's gross it still draws quite a crowd. "Every time I walk out into the alley there's lots of people getting their pictures taken in front of it, asking questions about it. It has become quite an attraction."
Hitts says that gum started appearing on the wall in the early 90's. "Right around 94' or so, the lines that would pile in to see Theatre Sports would start putting gum on the wall."
In the early years, Pike Place Market would ask that the Market Theatre remove the gum buildup. "Pike Place Market started having us scrape it, and we actually have a letter here telling us to scrape the gum wall," says Hitts.
Starting around 1998, Pike Place began recognizing the Gum Wall's value as an attraction, and today, Hitts says, everyone is on board to keep the gum installation. "Everybody's pretty protective of our gum wall now."
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