Krog Street Tunnel (Fulton County, Georgia)

Having recently moved to the Atlanta area, which is many times the size of my former home in terms of urban sprawl, I've decided that is appropriate to incorporate more urban hikes and explorations into my adventures. One such site that caught my attention is the Krog Street Tunnel, known locally for it's graffiti artwork.

Google maps lead me astray when trying to find the tunnel. The directions given by my mobile app would have had me driving through a restricted-access construction zone. After some review, I finally figured out a better way to get to the tunnel and was able to find parking just a few meters away from the southern entrance to the tunnel. It seems this is a popular area for runners and bikers, as I am passed by numerous of each during my short visit and walk-through. 

The tunnel itself is a pretty standard traffic tunnel under a larger road. There are two traffic lanes, one going each direction and separate by a series of concrete columns in the center. On each side, there is also an elevated walking path, separated from traffic by another set of columns on each side as well as a steel barrier. The tunnel is only a hundred or so yards long, making it a very short walk. However, what makes this a special place is the artwork. Nearly every surface in the tunnel is covered with spray paint graffiti, including much of the floor and ceiling. 

Layer on top of layer of spray paint has been artfully added here to create some outstanding, and in some cases, bizarre images. It reminds me somewhat of the Donner Train Tunnel, that is far more remote than this place, which is in the middle of the city. I recently read that some organization tried to sell tickets and hold a festival here celebrating the artwork a couple of years ago. The community artists were very much against someone else making money on their creativity and painted over the works present at that time, ruining the event. Since then, the walls have been recovered with colorful graffiti. I can't say I blame the artists. It seems they want to leave their gallery to the public free of charge.