There is little to no chance that if you’re reading this in Chicago you’ve not heard of the once mighty Chicago Rat Hole.
Despite having resided in Chicago for years, the unofficial landmark in Roscoe Village made the news all over the world earlier this year when local artist and comedian, Winslow Dumaine, drew attention to it by posting a photo to X, formerly Twitter.
What followed was difficult to comprehend as Chicago Rat Hole pandemonium broke out both online and in person. Following on from months of a quite bizarre and amusing media frenzy which ranged from people selling rat hole memorabilia online to couples actually getting married by the Chicago Rat Hole itself, the city has stepped in and removed the entire slab of sidewalk once and for all, cementing the Chicago Rat Hole’s position in history.
Crews from The Chicago Department of Transportation were seen around the spot yesterday, Wednesday, April 24th, removing it carefully before taking it away due to a long run of complaints from neighbors over the hole’s continued attention.
Reports suggest that City of Chicago officials are holding on to it while they decide what to do with it.
Just last month, somebody took matters into their own hands and filled the Chicago Rat Hole in only for it to be quickly restored to its former glory.
The imprint, said to be that of a squirrel who fell out of a tree that hung over the spot, has been on the sidewalk for over 20 years according to locals and many have been taking to X to demand it makes its way into a local museum.
Secret Chicago has reached out for more information on the Chicago Rat Hole’s fate.