Stunning Painted Stairs (8 Photos)

Why take the elevator when the stairs look like this? Street artists around the world are turning exhausted climbs into colorful adventures. Here are 8 of the most stunning painted staircases from the Street Art Utopia archives!

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🌊 1. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps — San Francisco, USA 🇺🇸

This isn’t just a paint job; it’s a massive community mosaic. Led by artists Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher, over 300 neighbors joined in to cover these 163 steps with handmade tiles. The design flows from the sea at the bottom to the stars at the top, shimmering in the California sun.

🎹 2. Piano Keys — Beirut, Lebanon 🇱🇧

Painted by the Dihzahyners team in the Mar Mikhael district, these stairs bring a melody of color to the streets of Beirut. The group’s mission was simple but powerful: to splash joy and optimism onto the city’s gray infrastructure through vibrant geometric patterns.

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🟥 3. Escadaria Selarón — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 🇧🇷

Perhaps the most famous steps in the world, and a true labor of love. Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón dedicated decades to covering these 215 steps in red, blue, and yellow tiles as a “tribute to the Brazilian people.” Tragically, Selarón was found dead on these very stairs in 2013, ending his work exactly where he lived it. A living, breathing piece of history.

🎼 4. Musical Steps — Valparaíso, Chile 🇨🇱

Valparaíso is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its funiculars and colorful hills. This set on Cerro Concepción is painted to look like piano keys, making the steep climb feel a little more rhythmic. In a city where street art covers almost every corner, these steps still manage to stand out.

More: Street Art in Valparaíso

🐟 5. Koi Staircase — Seoul, South Korea 🇰🇷 (Lost Treasure)

This was once the jewel of the Ihwa Mural Village. The swimming koi fish turned a steep climb into a vibrant pond. However, this artwork did start a conflict between tourism and local life: in 2016, the locals painted over the stairs in grey to protest the noise and litter from tourists. A beautiful memory, now lost.

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🎸 6. The Guitarist — Houston, USA 🇺🇸

Ukrainian artist Alex Maksiov painted this stunningly realistic image for the “Big Walls Big Dreams” festival. Using the stairs as a canvas, he created a 3D trompe-l’œil effect of a young boy playing guitar. From the right angle, the steps disappear, and only the music remains.

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🧶 7. Knit Steps — Valdivia, Chile 🇨🇱

Artist Marianne Meier took a softer approach. She covered these concrete stairs with multicolored painted “knitted” panels, creating a warm, cozy path through the city. It transforms the cold concrete into something that feels like home.

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🐱 8. Cats & Colors — Valparaíso, Chile 🇨🇱

Everything is better with cats. Valparaíso makes the list again (it really is the city of painted stairs) with this vibrant rainbow palette featuring cat silhouettes. It’s playful, simple, and the purr-fect reward for a long climb.

More: 41 of the most beloved Street Art from Chile

Which climb would you actually enjoy?