The famous Chicago “Rat Hole” was reportedly removed on Wednesday after the city deemed the site damaged and in need of repair, according to officials.
Chicago city officials had the section of sidewalk with what appears to be a rat imprint, nicknamed the “Rat Hole,” removed on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press (AP). Residents of Chicago’s North Side neighborhood of Roscoe Village were reportedly tired of the seemingly endless pilgrims visiting the holy site, leaving coins and causing a stir. The Chicago Department of Transportation removed the sidewalk square after inspecting it and determining it was damaged, department spokesperson Erica Schroeder told the AP.
Rodent not traveled: Chicago’s so-called “rat hole” is gone. A Chicago sidewalk landmark some affectionately call the “rat hole” has been removed after city officials determined the section bearing the imprint of an animal was damaged. https://t.co/oBcXFM7Fae
— AP Oddities (@AP_Oddities) April 25, 2024
Residents of the neighborhood have asserted that the “Rat Hole” was created by a squirrel instead of a rat, according to the AP. The imprint has reportedly existed for years, but achieved swift acclaim when a Chicago comedian posted a picture of it on social media in January. ABC Chicago identified the man as a Chicago-based artist.
Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole pic.twitter.com/g4P44nvJ1f
— Gatorade Should Be Thicker. (@WinslowDumaine) January 6, 2024
Since then, the slab of sidewalk has become a popular site, with one couple even getting married above the rat-shaped indent, according to ABC Chicago. (RELATED: ‘We’re Done’: Chicago Resident Rips ‘Blue Haired Liberals’ After Being Told To Accept Illegal Immigrants In City)
“The alderman’s office has definitely received complaints from neighbors about people gathering and people placing a bunch of different objects in the public way there,” Schroeder told the AP.
She assured the outlet that the “Rat Hole” is in interim storage and that city officials will decide what to do with it next.