Travelers Are Streaming Into Chicago’s Viral “Rat Hole”

A little rat or squirrel impression on a Chicago pavement has developed into a strange tourist destination. After author Winslow Dumaine posted a photo of the unintentional live casting on social media with the caption, “Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole,” the decades-old commercial went viral. This article quickly received over 5 million views, which helped the once-locally well-known landmark gain widespread recognition. The “Chicago rat hole” is situated in the Chicago neighborhood of Roscoe Village on a sidewalk off of West Roscoe Street. Numerous tourists have placed cash, flowers, and bits of cheese there since January 7. Many are referring to their trip as a “pilgrimage” as well.

Because of the landmark’s increased prominence, the Riot Fest Historical Society recently had a plaque placed at the location. “On this exact spot, two decades ago, a squirrel fell from the branches above, imprinting its fall in a concrete fossil,” reads the inscription. Look at the amazing outcome—a spread-eagle landing in the form of a rat, captured in time—a proof of the odd relationship between fate and the everlasting traces of nature. The Riot Fest Historical Society covered the cost. January 2024 is dedicated.

Despite the fact that the location is referred to as a “rat hole,” specialists think that a squirrel left its impression there. It was probably made when a squirrel landed on the damp concrete and left its physical imprint.

The head of Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute, Dr. Seth Magle, concurs that the footprint is that of a squirrel. on an interview with NBC Chicago, he postulated that squirrels are much more likely to fall from a height and land on wet concrete because of how much time they spend on trees. Although they are incredibly elegant and balletic, as we believe, I have seen them take a header right out of a tree. “The second reason I think it’s a squirrel,” he said, “is that we should probably assume that concrete gets wet during the day.” In the middle of the night, it most likely won’t be wet. At night, rats are more active.

The hole was reportedly filled in by an unidentified individual on January 19, according to NBC5. However, the residents swiftly removed the concrete-like substance, restoring the hole to its previous form.