‘Gun hole’ — a bizarre Virginia sensation — has returned after a brief hiatus. See it

A gun-shaped hole became a bizarre sensation in Virginia — and even had its own sidewalk shrine.

Now, the so-called “gun hole” has returned to a Richmond neighborhood after a brief hiatus, according to Jan. 31 photos from WRIC and social media users.

The news came after fans flocked to the sidewalk to leave coins, medicine and other tokens of appreciation in recent days, news outlets reported.

“I saw a few posts about the gun hole, and I said, ‘I’ve got to go see it for myself,’ and there it is in all its glory,” Rich Griset, a journalist who wrote about the star attraction, told WWBT.

But after a resident complained that the hole was “attracting nuisance visitors and littering,” the city patched it up, the Richmond-Times Dispatch reported. While city officials didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for comment, some people said the covered-up hole left them feeling bitter or in shock.

“I was surprised the hole was filled when there are missing sidewalks throughout the city,” Tavarris Spinks told WWBT.

But the hole wasn’t filled for long, as photos from TV stations show the concrete was scooped out to reveal the gun-shaped impression once again. And yes, the offerings are back, too.

The “gun hole” gained popularity after a photo of the imprint was shared Jan. 26 on X, formerly known as Twitter. In less than a week, the post gained almost 2 million views and dozens of comments from people curious to know more.

“What if we kissed at the Richmond gun hole,” the photo’s caption said.

Brock Cass, who made the post about the sidewalk anomaly in his Fan District neighborhood, told WRIC said he’s glad the photo made an impact.

“I think it’s super cool to see how much can be brought together by something so simple as a pistol imprint in the sidewalk,” Cass told the TV station.

The attraction has drawn comparisons to the so-called “rat hole” in Chicago. The impression is shaped like a rodent — including a tail — and grew in popularity before someone filled it in, the Associated Press reported.

“I’ve heard a lot of talk about the Chicago rat hole and I don’t think the Richmond gun hole gets the credit it deserves,” Scott Boastfield, a Richmond resident, told WWBT. “It takes no back seat to a rat hole.”

But the hole along Richmond’s South Addison Street didn’t gain the admiration of everyone.

“I mean, it’s a hole in the pavement,” visitor Will Anderson told Griset in a story for Style Weekly.

So, how did the hole get there? While there’s still debate, at least one clue has emerged.

“I heard from the person who actually put the gun in the ground on Reddit, and it was actually a water gun back in 1991,” Sage Gardner told WWBT. “I think that’s pretty crazy. It’s not actually a revolver or anything.”

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