In Chicago, Tourists Are Flocking To A Viral 'Rat Hole'

A small rat or squirrel-shaped imprint on a Chicago sidewalk has become an unlikely tourist attraction. The decades-old spot became a viral phenomenon after writer Winslow Dumaine shared a picture of the accidental live casting onsocial media and wrote, “Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole.” This post soon gathered over 5 million views and propelled the once-locally-known landmark into popularity. The ‘Chicago rat hole’ is located on a sidewalk of West Roscoe Street in the Roscoe Village neighbourhood of Chicago. Since January 7, scores of visitors have left coins, flowers, and pieces of cheese, on the spot. Many are also calling their visit a ‘pilgrimage’.

Such is the new-found popularity of the landmark that the Riot Fest Historical Society recently dedicated a plaque at the site. The plaque says, “Two decades ago, on this very spot, a squirrel tumbled from the branches above, imprinting its fall in a concrete fossil. Behold the extraordinary result- a rat-shaped spread-eagle landing, frozen in time- a testament to the curious dance between chance and the enduring imprints of the natural world. Paid for by the Riot Fest Historical Society. Dedicated January 2024.”

IEven though the site is known as a ‘rat hole’, experts believe that the imprint is that of a squirrel. It must have been created when a squirrel fell on the wet concrete and left its body mark.

Dr. Seth Magle, the director of the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo, also believes that the imprint is that of a squirrel. Speaking to NBC Chicago, he theorized, “When we think about what kind of animal could fall from a height and land on wet concrete, it is much more likely to be a squirrel with all the time they spend in branches. We think of them as really balletic and graceful and they are, but I have seen them take a header straight out of a tree.” He added, “The second reason I think it’s a squirrel is that when we think about when concrete is usually wet, it’s probably gonna be during the day. It’s probably not gonna be wet in the middle of the night. Rats are active at night.”

On January 19, NBC5 reported the hole was filled in by an unknown person, but it was soon restored to its original shape by the locals who quickly scrapped the concrete-like material.