The viral saga of the Chicago Rat Hole

On an unassuming stretch of sidewalk in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood lies one of the city's hottest new tourist attractions: a rat-shaped imprint in the pavement. Dubbed "The Chicago Rat Hole", the hilarious hole has become a viral sensation in recent weeks, garnering national attention and drawing ire from some residents.

On January 6, local Chicago comedian Winslow Dumaine tweeted a picture of the now-famous oddity, located in the 1900 block of Roscoe Street. “Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole”, said Dumaine.

Thus, the 'rat hole' label was born, with Dumaine’s tweet amassing over 5 million views and causing a chain reaction of national coverage from The New York Times, CNN, and The Washington Post.

The history of the rat hole dates back well before Dumaine’s tweet. The imprint has been a well-known landmark to Roscoe Village residents for years, with some accounts stating the imprint has existed for as long as twenty years. Early online accounts of the rodent-shaped impression date back to 2011.

The true origins of the hole are up for debate, with some claiming a squirrel made the imprint. With no way to conclusively prove just what created the impression, the rat hole moniker has stuck.

In the wake of the rat hole’s virality, curious onlookers have flocked to the site, documenting their own pilgrimages and paying respects with flowers, candles, and other offerings. Organizers from Chicago’s Riot Fest music festival donated a plaque to the site, officially commemorating the rat hole as a Chicago cultural landmark.

The increased traffic to the otherwise quiet section of Roscoe Street has received criticism from some neighbors who feel the site has become a nuisance.

On Friday, fans of the rat hole were saddened to learn the iconic indent had been filled in with a plaster-like material, presumably by a disgruntled resident. Luckily neighbors quickly banded together and removed the substance before it could harden.

One concerned neighbor, Jonathan Howell, helped dig the hole back out with a makeshift scraper. "As a Chicagoan, I feel the preservation of history is important," Howell told NBC Chicago, describing whoever filled the hole in as a ‘vandal’.

With the rat hole restored to its original shape, the landmark continues to make headlines and garner visitors from around the city. It remains to be seen what will come of the rat hole in the coming weeks, but it's clear locals hope to preserve the site for future generations.