Photography can fail to convey the complexity and size of these wall murals. The artists typically use a two or three story building as their canvas. A couple of the paintings on this site cover a skyscraper. They are magnificent displays of public art.
At the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, with a good view of West Virginia, is the town of Marietta, Ohio. The population is about 14,000. On the corners of Third and Putnam Streets once stood the Wakefield Hotel. This former landmark is lovingly recreated in this wall mural by Geoff Scherkel & Pamela Porter.
229 W Putnam St, Marietta, OH 45750
Just outside the gates of the Toledo Zoological Gardens in Toledo, Ohio, is a railroad bridge over Anthony Wayne Trail. The mural is a delightful exhibit of the zoo’s residents, including this lion and hippo. Wall mural enthusiasts will also enjoy the artwork inside the zoo. Several were created over fifty years ago as part of the New Deal federal Work Progress Administration program. Recently, Forest “Woody” La Plante, one of the original artists, was invited back by the Arts Council of Greater Toledo to restore them.
Shadowlawn Dr. & Marlboro St, Toledo, OH 43609
This mural on a red brick wall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is called “The Tisalale Experience.” The guitar player was painted by artist and tattoo shop owner Anthony “Eratick” Carrera. He tends to adorn walls and human bodies with equally flamboyant designs and colors. The “Rusty Roberts Bail Bonds” sign is a real advertisement that shared the alley with the street art.
“First Friday Art Night” is a monthly event in Grants Pass when residences stroll through downtown and enjoy the visual, literary and performing arts. Yet there are plenty of artworks to enjoy every day with so many wall murals around, including this one called, “Cottage for Sale.” The pedestrian traffic light on the left is real.
The Hotel Josephine in Grants Pass, Oregon, was built in 1893. Each room of the luxury accommodations featured electricity, gas for cooking and a wood burning stove for heat. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1975. This mural painted on the 1925 expansion shows the hotel in its early 20th century glory. This is the left detail of the wonderful mural painted by John Michener.
310 NW 6th St, Grants Pass, OR 97526
On the corner of E and Sixth Streets in Grants Pass is a mural recreating the Hotel Josephine constructed in 1893. In 1925, it was renamed the Redwoods Hotel. Fifty years later, the historic property was torn down. This is the right detail of an almost three-dimensional painting by John Michener on the old Redwoods Hotel’s six-floor, concrete addition. The building, which is now mostly an office complex, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
310 NW 6th St, Grants Pass, OR 97526
When entering Grants Pass, Oregon, you drive under a sign reading, “It’s the Climate.” This has welcomed visitors since 1920. Then you start noticing the marvelous downtown buildings. They have been carefully maintained and refurbished. During its history, Grants Pass was a major stop for stagecoaches, the Oregon-California Railroad and travelers along the Rouge River. This wall mural by R. E. Colton is called, “On the Road of a Thousand Wonders.” The Victorian building was the First National Bank of Southern Oregon when it was built in 1890. Now it is the Old Town Marketplace.
208 NW 6th St H, Grants Pass, OR 97526
Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp, Theda Bara as a femme fatale nicknamed The Vamp, and William Claude Dukenfield as W.C. Fields the “The Eccentric Juggler” are three vaudeville and movie stars featured in this mural in Salem, Oregon. Jim Mattingly painted the 68 by 64.5 foot mural on the wall of the historic Elsinore Theater in 1984. Mattingly died of ALS in 2005. In 2013, a fundraiser generated money to commission Dan Cohen to restore the work of art.
170 High St SE, Salem, OR 97301
Imagine the thrill as a little boy watching your father compete in a forging contest. Edward W. O’Brien described the dual of strength, sweat and determination between the blacksmith Pop and the younger contestant McCann in the November 2, 1940 edition of “The Saturday Evening Post.” Norman Rockwell captured the exciting conclusion. Among the 23 people in the original painting is the author as a boy next to his father, the blacksmith on the left. In May of 2018, Blacksmith’s Boy – Heel and Toe was sold for $7 million by the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 2003, local artist Wayne Fettro painted this partial reproduction. A self-guided tour map of mural locations in Lancaster Country is available. It suggests two days are required to see all of the outdoor art.
2715 Old Philadelphia Pike Bird in Hand, PA 17505
The Lancaster County Visitor’s Center has the perfect welcome to America’s oldest Amish settlement in Pennsylvania Dutch county: a wall mural of a smiling mom holding up a freshly baked lemon meringue pie. While you are at the center, ask for details about several driving tours plus how to find Amish horse and buggy rides, farms, museums, windmills, furniture and crafts along the way.
38 Penn Square, Lancaster, PA 17603
The Philadelphia Zoo has two endangered Amur leopards. Kavan was born in 2001. His significant other, Emma, was born 14 months later. The panthera pardus orientalis breed is from far east Russia. Only 20 to 30 of the cats remain in the wild. This Amur leopard wall mural is near the entrance to the zoo in Philadelphia.
Girard Av & 34th St – MBFS, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Bob and Nancy are two rhinoceros hornbills at the Philadelphia Zoo. Both were hatched in 2007. On its head is a structure that takes up to six years to develop and resembles a smaller bill. It is called the casque and is mostly hollow. The birds are about 30 to 35 inches tall. That is considerably smaller than this colorful wall mural of the rhino hornbill near the entrance to the zoo in Philadelphia.
Girard Av & 34th St – MBFS, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Since 1984, the “Mural Arts Program” has sponsored over 3,600 wall murals from more than 300 artists. The average project in Philadelphia ranges from $10,000 to $15,000. What started as an anti-graffiti effort has blossomed into the world’s largest outdoor gallery in the City of Brotherly Love. Several walking tour options are available. During the Center City tour, you will pass this mural on Broad and Lombard Streets. “Theatre of Life” was created by Meg Saligman and Juan Dimida. The art represents people’s different roles. Notice the two hands holding marionette sticks. They symbolize external influences controlling people. In addition to 400 gallons of paint, it consists of 10,000 glass pieces, a ton of concrete and 5,000 marbles. The gorgeous mural was completed in 2002.
Lombard St & S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Walking inside the 125 year old Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh feels dungy, dark and medieval. After reaching the grand stairway on the second level, however, you are delighted by seeing murals by Vincent Nesbert, including this one called “Justice.” They were painted from 1931 – 1935 as part of the Federal Works Progress Administration’s Public Works of Art Project. Apparently, when the artist learned he would not be paid, he completed the works anyway. The model for this mural, Dorothy Duke, did not see the completed art for 67 years after it was finished.
436 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
This is a detail of a 36 x 56 foot mural designed by architectural muralist Richard Hass. “Steel Making” was painted in 1993 by Evergreen Painting Studios in New York City. The art employs a technique called trompe l’oeil. This means to deceive the eye. The mural is a tribute to the industry that built Pittsburg. It is located on the wall of the Byham Theater building.
101 6th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Since 1985, the Rum Boogie Cafe on Beale Street has served rum with delicious catfish, ribs, gumbo and red beans while their toe-tapping patrons listen to live blues bands. Their motto is, “Eat, drink, boogie and repeat.” When you go, check out this Rum Boogie Cafe mural in the alley. Then, go inside to see their collection of 150 guitars.
182 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103
17 longhorns come thundering to life in this mural at the Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas. The image is a recreation of a 1870s cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail towards Kansas. The three-dimensional painting was created in 1985 by New York artist Richard Haas. It is located at 400 Main Street in Sundance Square. Surrounding it are plenty of attractions appealing to the real and wannabe cowboys and cowgirls.
400 Main St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Prior to 1970, the Lion Drugstore on West Commerce and Santa Rosa in San Antonio displayed a mural known as the “Chapa Lion.” In 2000, the Goodwill commissioned Jesse Treviňo to create the “New Chapa Lion Mural.” The painting includes a pride of lions. They represent the growing community near El Mercado. The people seen lifting the tile image into place represent the Goodwill’s mission, “To help change lives through the power of work.”
406 W Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78207
I don’t recall Greek mythology featuring a flying cheeseburger with the wings of Nike on a sesame bun. Nor was there mention of a stein of overflowing beer. But that is exactly what is depicted in this mural in Charlottesville, Virginia. Another curiosity is suspended in the upper right corner of the window. Look closely and you will see a pair of broken glasses. It seems a farsighted ghost is looking at you.
In 1607, an English Captain named Christopher Newport planted a cross declaring a river to be the possession of James I of England. This is how the 350 mile long James River got its name. As written on this Mighty James River mural, the river has served Richmond, Virginia ever since. In the background is the James River Railway Bridge. This span, also known as the Atlantic Coast Line Railway or Belt Line Bridge, was built in 1919.
100 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219
On 212 West Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia, is this 2012 mural of six large cats. The artist was Argentinean artist Franco Fasoli, commonly known as Jaz. He typically creates street art on an ambitious scale. He is also known to use unique materials such as asphaltic paint and petrol. His outdoor art is seen in several international cities. This mural is one of over 100 created by numerous artists during a five year period as part of the Richmond Mural Project.
212 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA
The Anacortes Mural Project has sponsored colorful murals on nearly every block of Anacortes, Washington. Most are by Bill Mitchell. He often depicts historic scenes and residents like this one called “Anacortes Junk Company.” It shows owner Mike Demopoulus driving his Mack truck full of paper in 1918. The art is on the side of the Marine Industrial Supply building. This company has been run by the Demopoulus family since 1913. By the way, the wheelbarrow is real.
202 Commercial Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221
When you visit historic downtown Anacortes, you might see a man wearing a black cap with a corncob pipe hanging from his pepper-gray beard scooting around in an electric three-wheel cart. That is local artist Bill Mitchell. He has decorated the town since 1984 with murals conveying its history. An example is this delightful painting of Skagit Saloon as it appeared in 1891. That was the year the town was founded and grew from 40 to 4000 residents in twelve months. The bar burned down in 1902. However, a reminder of its patrons’ antics lives on. So does the image of the bartender, owner and proprietor, A. Olsen.
220 Commercial Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221
Thirteen years after a 1971 car accident made Bill Mitchell a quadriplegic, he began painting wall murals around Anacortes, Washington. To date, he has created 150 pieces of art. They portray the stories of its citizens since 1891. This is mural #42 called “Zack Benn Model T Lunch Wagon.” It was the first lunch wagon built in 1912. Most of Bill’s murals are made on cutout wood and then attached to the downtown buildings.
602 Commercial Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221
These symbolic leaves growing from an olive tree is part of a 4,000 square foot Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural Project on the Labor Temple building in downtown Olympia. It recognizes the political struggles within Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The art memorializes Rachel Corrie. She was killed there in 2003 by an Israeli bulldozer during a military occupation. She was also a resident of Olympia, Washington. On a cell phone, you can hear each artist explain the significance of their leaf. There are 150 leaves. An identical mural was created along the restricted boarder of Gaza.
119 Capitol Way N, Olympia, WA 98501
This downtown Olympia wall mural features a Triceratops dinosaur. When this beast roamed North America about 68 to 65.5 million years ago, it was up to 30 feet in length and 26,000 pounds. The flying Pterosaur, which means winged lizard, existed 220 to 65 million years ago. They were reptiles, not dinosaurs or birds.
Artist Cory Ench created this Motor Vessel Kalakala Ferry mural in Port Angeles, Washington. The painting is a tribute to the steel, art deco ferry that served the Puget Sound from 1935 to 1967. Its unique, streamlined appearance with the round portholes made it popular with tourists for a while. However, its strong vibrations resulted in uncomplimentary nicknames like the Silver Slug. The ship retired in 1967. After multiple owners and users, it is currently moored in Tacoma, Washington, where its fate hinges on multiple lawsuits.
164 N Laurel St, Port Angeles, WA 98362
Visitors to Port Angeles, Washington are primarily boarding a ferry to Victoria, Canada. But allocate extra time for a walking tour. You will enjoy over 55 outdoor sculptures plus great wall murals celebrating the town’s history. An example is this mural detail of the town in 1914. The painting shows the citizens elevating all of the Port Angeles buildings and streets during an intense, six month project in 1914 to eliminate the constant flooding.
107 E 1st St, Port Angeles, WA 98362
I research every photo before posting it. However, in the case of this mural in Seattle of two women’s faces outlined by a rainbow of color, I failed. It was not from a lack of effort. I scrolled through a lot of the 55,500 photos on the “Seattle Street Art/Graffiti” website. They are dedicated to showing “Any kind of independent art illegally posted in public spaces around Seattle.” So I asked the users of my travel guides for help. They came through in spades. This is a detail of a large wall featured in a Microsoft graffiti commercial in 2012. The collaborative effort was produced by Mr. Unek, Weirdo, Joe Nix and Justin Ladd. You can view it here: https://youtu.be/t-CwupK9XyY
2218 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
In the Dome District of Tacoma, Washington, at 216 Puyallup Avenue is this umbrella mural painted by Chris Sharp in 2012. It is part of the Tacoma Murals Project sponsored by the Graffiti Reduction Through Community Based Art team. The project offers artists workshops, technical assistance and access to community groups. They work together to design and paint the murals.
216 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, WA 98421
Graffiti is illegal in Tacoma, Washington. However, the city allows public expression at 723 Broadway Street, better known as the Graffiti Garage. The concept of providing a canvas for talented artists was created by the Tacoma Arts Commission and the city. Six days a week, the garage is open for short-term parking. On Sundays, when the cars are gone, the artists bring knapsacks and carry cases of specialized paint to create distinctive murals. Their self-policed code is that an artist can only paint over an existing work if theirs is more elaborate and artistic.
723 Broadway Street, Tacoma, WA 98402
Wyland is synonymous with marine life in his paintings, sculptures, murals, TV programs, photography and foundation. This whaling wall of a breaching Washington Orcas is 120 feet long and 45 feet high. It was painted in 1990 on the Bowes Building at 928 A Street in Tacoma, Washington. The mural is one of a hundred, life-size marine paintings created by Wayland from 1981 until 2008 across 13 countries and 79 cities.
928 A Street,Tacoma, Washington
Weston, West Virginia, is a small, decaying town of 4,000 whose centerpiece is a former lunatic asylum. One bright spot, however, was this mural by Sherd Maynard Jr. of the Sun Lumber Company, which dates back to 1905. Perhaps it’s an advertisement or a tribute to the logging industry in the state whose motto is, “Mountaineers are always welcome.” The forests and rolling hills in this Appalachian region are gorgeous.
Outside diners at Buckley’s Kiskeam Inn on Cass Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are kept company by a three-dimensional mural. The artwork requires some study to drink in all of its imagery. This detail will accompany your first glass of wine. There are additional eye treats inside this small restaurant, including an English bar from the 1870s.
801 N Cass St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Around Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you are bound to see a moose somewhere. They appear as a sculpture, a taxidermy display, on a coffee cup, in a town called Moose or as part of a mural warning tourists not to park. If you are lucky, you might see one of the states’ 7,500 animals rumbling in the wild.
