ST CHARLES, Mo. — A rat-shaped hole in Chicago has gained a cult following after going viral at the beginning of 2024.
The so-called rat hole has compelled people from across the U.S. to make pilgrimages to it near the intersection of Roscoe Street and Wolcott Avenue, according to NBC News. It has inspired a shrine, numerous late-night parties and even a wedding.
A lesser-known animal-shaped indentation in Missouri is also going viral in an extremely niche Facebook group.
Dan Webb, a St. Charles resident and member of the Google Earth , Structures and Anomalies Facebook Group, crafted a post that has since been seen by tens of thousands of people.
Webb's post describes a frog-shaped hole in the intersection of First Capitol and Riverside Drives in St. Charles. Unlike Chicago's rat hole, which is indented into an easily accessible public sidewalk, St. Charles' frog hole is in the middle of a crosswalk.
The frog even pulled off a pose similar to Michael Jordan's iconic Jumpman logo before it imprinted itself on the then-wet pavement.
"I first saw it about 3 years ago walking my dog," Webb told 5 On Your Side on Sunday. "I'm unsure how long ago that section of crosswalk was re-paved."
Don't want to travel to St. Charles to check out the anomaly? Google Maps has you covered. The frog can be viewed in Google Street View. (Tip: Zoom in on the crosswalk leading away from the Missouri River.)
While this peculiar middle-of-the-street hole probably won't generate shrines or cross-country trips, the spot adds another notch to the long history of the St. Charles Historic District.
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