by Lucie Quinn, Features Editor
In an area as rich in history as the Washington, D.C. area, it should come as no surprise that our streets are filled with fun and interesting stories — including some that will make your skin crawl. Here are a couple of the DMV’s creepiest urban legends to keep you up at night.
- Demon Cat
With a plethora of unexplored underground tunnels and secret rooms, the U.S. Capitol Building has its fair share of scary legends. But, none are as concrete as that of the Demon Cat. According to popular scary stories site Atlas Obscura, the hallways of the building were supposedly filled with cats in order to control a raging rodent problem after the Civil War. One night, however, a black cat crossed the path of an on-duty guard. Supposedly, it grew to the size of a tiger before it leaped on him and disappeared into the night.
Since that night, reports of this so-called Demon Cat (initials “DC”), have skyrocketed. It is said that the feline is commonly seen around the Capitol before presidential elections and tragedies.
- Goatman
The story of the Goatman, as told by The Washingtonian, is one of the most prominent urban legends in the country. Said to have been originally created as an accidental mutation in a Beltsville agricultural center in 1971, this wild creature was rumored to be half-man, half-goat, and completely terrifying. When word first got out that a supposed goat-like creature was killing animals on local Maryland farms, reports began to pop up all over the state. In order to avoid mass panic, the USDA was forced to make a public announcement that they had not created the Goatman at their Beltsville agricultural center. Still today, reports are received of a half-man creature roaming the forests of Maryland, bleating and screaming with murder on his mind.
- The Bunny Man
According to The Washingtonian, a couple was parked near the Colchester Overpass, a small tunnel-bridge located in Fairfax in 1970. Suddenly, the sound of crickets and the night breeze was broken by screams of “You’re trespassing!” and the shattering of their car window. As they sped away, they noticed a man standing behind their car dressed in what resembled a bunny costume and realized what had been thrown through their window–a hatchet.
The Bunnyman legend is one of the most popular in the DMV. Legend has it that a man still roams the Colchester area today masked in an eerie rabbit costume, waiting to terrify trespassers.
These stories are just a few examples of the creepy cryptids that haunt this area. Hopefully you don’t run into them anytime soon!