Fans of the Chicago Rat Hole quickly banded together Friday to dig out the infamous rodent-shaped crater in Roscoe Village after someone had filled it in.
Onlookers Friday morning discovered that the city’s newest tourist attraction — a hole in the sidewalk, with a skinny tail and only three paws — had been filled with a concrete slurry after a week in the spotlight once it went viral on a social media post.
“I think at the end of the day, the rat hole is a silly thing, but the thing that made it so viral was the fact that thousands and thousands of people were in on a big, sweet, heartfelt joke,” said Chicagoan Winslow Dumaine, who posted a picture of the rat hole on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, which drew more than 5 million views.
Visitors to the spot on Friday found a fresh layer of the milky substance, poured in an apparent attempt to fill the spot, which was first reported by NBC Channel 5. It was unclear who had filled in the hole.
Erica Schroeder, a spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Transportation, said, “CDOT did not fill in the rat hole.” The city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation also denied filling the hole.
Dumaine said he believed people will find a way to dig out the substance, poured in cold temperatures, and resurrect the rat-shaped dent. Indeed, by Friday afternoon, a group of people — who declined to be identified, for fear of retribution — could be seen trying to clear the hole.
Crowds of onlookers flocked this week to pay homage to the fallen rodent — only a few inches long and smack in the middle of the sidewalk — leaving behind coins, Valentine’s Day candy hearts and even an olive for the beloved animal that once found itself stuck in the cement.
“One person put concrete in that hole, but thousands of people put coins in it,” Dumaine said.
A small shrine for the rat had been erected on top of several inches of snow. In the bin are more coins, a rubber duck, a pack of cigarettes and a framed photo of a rat with the words, “In Memory of Chimley.” Others have accepted the name for the fictional rat, with someone leaving a cardboard coffin adorned with “Chimley” written in marker.
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[ The ‘Chicago Rat Hole’ draws devoted fans bringing gifts for the city’s new tourist attraction ]
Dumaine posted a photo at the spot earlier this month with the caption: “Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole.” The post has reached people across the world, he said.
Dumaine said the attention on him from the post has been an “international firestorm” though he cannot take credit for finding the spot. His friend, Hayley, told him to keep an eye out for the imprint as they were walking in the neighborhood. She heard about it from another friend, Dumaine said.
Neighbors in the area told Dumaine the spot has been there for nearly 20 years and that the mark was actually left by a squirrel, not a rat. But the rat-inspired name endured.
“Chicago prides itself on all of the things that make Chicago difficult, and no matter how much Chicago hates rats, they love rats,” Dumaine said. “It’s a part of our culture.”
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On Halloween each year, the neighbors honor the sidewalk imperfection with a marker, said state Rep. Ann Williams, who represents the Roscoe Village home of the rat hole.
In a video she posted to X Friday, she said the hole had been “defaced.”
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of this news,” Williams said in her video statement.
Not since the water stain shaped like the Virgin Mary found on a Fullerton Avenue underpass in 2005 has a nature-inspired landmark drawn such crowds. The spot, now dubbed “The Famous Chicago Rat Hole” on Apple Maps, is near 1918 W. Roscoe St. and has cemented Chicago’s reputation as rat city.
In 2023, Chicago was named the rattiest city in the country for the ninth year in a row by pest control company Orkin.
Tribune’s Caroline Kubzansky contributed.
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Fans of Chicago Rat Hole rescue rodent-shaped crater on Roscoe Village sidewalk after someone had filled it in - Chicago Tribune
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