
Bubblegum Alley, San Luis Obispo (must see)
Bubblegum Alley is a local tourist landmark, known for its accumulation of used bubble gum on the walls of an alley. It is a 15-foot (4.6 m) high and 70-foot (21 m) long alley lined with chewed gum left by passers-by. The locally created, "most-talked-about landmark" covers a stretch of 20 meters between 733 and 734 Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo.
An alleyway full of over-chewed, 40-year-old bubble gum sounds unpleasant, but contrary to that belief many have started their own gummy traditions to keep this alleyway a must-see. One obvious tradition is the different fraternity and sorority letters. Another tradition that might confuse someone unfamiliar with the area is the variety of numbers lining the walls. To most people they may seem like a random assortment of numbers, but to any Cal Poly student these numbers represent Week of Welcome (or WOW) numbers. WOW is the first week before school starts in the fall for incoming freshmen; each WOW group has a different number and the leaders of each group take their students to Bubblegum Alley to leave their first mark on the city. Some just stick their gum on the overloaded walls while others get creative and leave their actual group number.
An alleyway full of over-chewed, 40-year-old bubble gum sounds unpleasant, but contrary to that belief many have started their own gummy traditions to keep this alleyway a must-see. One obvious tradition is the different fraternity and sorority letters. Another tradition that might confuse someone unfamiliar with the area is the variety of numbers lining the walls. To most people they may seem like a random assortment of numbers, but to any Cal Poly student these numbers represent Week of Welcome (or WOW) numbers. WOW is the first week before school starts in the fall for incoming freshmen; each WOW group has a different number and the leaders of each group take their students to Bubblegum Alley to leave their first mark on the city. Some just stick their gum on the overloaded walls while others get creative and leave their actual group number.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in San Luis Obispo. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Bubblegum Alley on Map
Sight Name: Bubblegum Alley
Sight Location: San Luis Obispo, USA (See walking tours in San Luis Obispo)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: San Luis Obispo, USA (See walking tours in San Luis Obispo)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in San Luis Obispo, California
Create Your Own Walk in San Luis Obispo
Creating your own self-guided walk in San Luis Obispo is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
San Luis Obispo Museums and Galleries Tour
San Luis Obispo is a charming city located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. The city has plenty of activities and things to do for its international visitors. Numerous art galleries and fascinating museum exhibitions reflect the city’s history, culture and heritage. The following waking tour will guide you to the most popular cultural venues of San Luis Obispo.
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
San Luis Obispo Introduction Walking Tour
San Luis Obispo is a lovely Californian city with strong Spanish heritage. In the very heart of the city there is Mission Plaza named so after the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa founded by the Spaniards in 1700s. Not far off is another popular and somewhat weird attraction, called Bubblegum Alley, and the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art showcasing works of contemporary Californian artists. Nearby... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles