Pensacola Graffiti Bridge (17th Avenue)
The Pensacola Graffiti Bridge (17th Avenue) is a unique site that attracts both locals and tourists to visit and share the site’s artistic expression.
This is an old train trestle and bridge that is beautifully spray-painted with graffiti by people in the community. If you are in the Pensacola or even Perdido Bay area, make sure you run by the Pensacola Graffiti Bridge area to see what this is all about!
Table of contents
What is the 17th Avenue Graffiti Railroad Trestle?
People have been decorating this area since 1935. The trestle was constructed in 1881 to connect Pensacola via train to Louisville and Nashville. It’s still a working CSX railroad bridge.
Anybody can come and spray-paint their messages on the trestle and anywhere in this specific area. On any given day or night, you will see artists setting up to paint. We saw two separate artists working on their art while we were there.
There are love notes, tributes, encouragements, sports themes, and anything else you can think of, and much more. Pensacola recognized the bridge as a place for legal graffiti in 2008.
Joseph Sauerkamp, a Pensacola resident, created a Facebook page and website. He has said he visits the bridge a couple of times a month, but nowadays he goes several times a day since the paintings are updated daily.
Now, some groups of people are against this legal graffiti. They paint over it with white paint to discourage the painting, but it only creates a fresh, blank canvas for the muralists to repaint.
Using a can of spray paint on things anywhere else is a crime, but in Pensacola, at least at the Railroad Graffiti Bridge, it’s freedom of expression.
Where is this bridge?
The Pensacola Graffiti Bridge is located at 17th Street between Mira Flores and Wayside Park.
To access the bridge, there’s a parking lot that is for a public boat ramp right next to it. The public boat launch is free. The parking lot does get pretty full on weekends with vehicles and their boat trailers so use caution.
This is a view of the Train Bridge going to the East and looking back at the boat ramp parking lot and the Pensacola Island bridge in the background.
Pictures of the Pensacola Graffiti Bridge
The entire area including the trestle over 17th avenue, going east above and below the bridge, and continues down at the Eastern most section of the bridge. It’s really a site to see.
Trestle over 17th Avenue
This view of the trestle going over the 17th avenue is the more popular view. However, there is graffiti art going East from here down the railroad bridge over the water and to the other side.
The “Streetlight Kids” mural was being painted while we were filming. He was taking a break.
This is a well traveled road so patience must be exercised to get pictures without cars going under the bridge.
Happy Birthday to You!!
Walking up to the Bridge
The best place to park is in the 17th Avenue Public Boat Ramp parking lot. These pictures in this section show us walking up to the Graffiti Bridge.
It’s hard to see in a picture but the graffiti goes all the way East along the bridge and continues on the other side of the waterway.
Underneath the Railroad Bridge
This was one artist exercising her freedom of expression.
This image is a picture of the bridge facing East.
This is a picture of the bridge facing West going toward the 17th Avenue trestle. Even the rocks get tagged here.
This is a snapshot of the bridge facing East across the water from the North side of the bridge.
On Top of Railroad Bridge
The view on top of the railroad bridge is my favorite. Check out the view!
If you look close enough, down further East on the bridge, you can see two fishermen that were heading that way to find a fishing spot.
This picture if facing East and I am out over the water a bit.
Low Bridge
I think the whole legal Pensacola Graffiti Bridge is probably a good thing for the community. However, one of the negatives has to be that the colorful painting attracts attention. RV’s and box trucks run into the bridge frequently. The sign on both sides of the trestle warns the trestle is only 10’ 8”. Yet, time and again, trucks and RVs try to pass through there and either damage their roof and/or get stuck. I do wonder are the drivers looking at the art, rather than the posted height of the bridge? Just another fun, or not so fun if you are a big truck driver, fact about the Pensacola Graffiti Bridge.
Safety Tips
If you want to cross the road, take special care when walking beneath the bridge. There are no sidewalks beneath the bridge and cars cut through fast. Also, if you climb up to the tracks, keep an eye out down the track and listen for a train because it’s still an active railroad track.
Key Takeaways
- The Pensacola Graffiti Bridge (17th Avenue) features community-created graffiti and serves as an artistic attraction.
- Originally built in 1881, this working railroad trestle became a legal graffiti site in 2008.
- Visitors can paint freely, and artistic expression flourishes despite opposition from some groups.
- The bridge is located at 17th Street with a nearby public boat ramp for parking.
- Safety is essential; beware of fast-moving cars and stay alert for trains on this active railroad track.
Conclusion
If you like this content, check out my post about the beautiful murals at the Anasazi Inn Gray Mountain and in the historic district of New Braunfels. In addition, you will absolutely love the graffiti art covered in Two Guns, AZ (Graffiti Gas Station and KOA Swimming Pool) and in Phoenix, AZ.
