Free Hugs Bunker
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About
Free Hugs Bunker is a viral image of an abandoned bunker with the phrase "free hugs" spray painted beside the entrance. The image was first posted to Reddit's /r/pics subreddit in April 2014 and gained viral spread over the following years, inspiring memes and creepypastas based on it, including fake stories about an alleged series of murders that took place in the bunker. A version of the meme with a clown photoshopped into the opening of the bunker has also seen significant use in memes.
Origin
On April 21st, 2014, Redditor /u/twonesix posted a photograph titled "Nothing has ever seemed more legit than this" to /r/pics[1] showing an abandoned bunker with the phrase "free hugs" spray painted on the side of the entrance, along with an arrow pointing into the bunker, garnering over 2,900 upvotes in nine years (shown below).
Spread
The image was reposted numerous times over the following months, also inspiring memes. On April 27th, 2014, Facebook[2] page Y-TITTY posted a meme attaching the pedobear image to the bottom of the photo, garnering over 23,000 reactions and 300 shares in nine years (shown below, left).
On June 17th, Redditor /u/iWannaLoveU reposted it to /r/creepy,[3] garnering over 2,400 upvotes in the same rough span of time. That day, Redditor /u/JollyGingerGiant commented claiming the bunker is in Wisconsin and located on Highway 10 west of Durand, providing a Google Maps[4] link to its approximate location. The user also posted a photo of himself outside the bunker (shown below, right).
On August 28th, 2017, X,[5] formerly Twitter, user @Reverend_Scott posted a photoshop of the image replacing "free hugs" with "dogs to pet," writing, "I'm about to risk it all," garnering over 4,400 likes in six years (shown below). A screenshot of the post was reposted by Tumblr[6] user dankmemeuniversity on August 30th, garnering over 2,300 notes in the same span of time.
On June 10th, 2020, Facebook[7] page Stories, Terror and More posted the image with a fake alleged backstory to the image, garnering over 750 reactions and 250 shares in three years, writing:
This photograph is part of a police file of a mass murderer. During a raid in a forest, a group of policemen found this house and this peculiar sign, when entering it, could not tolerate the horror. At least 7 children between the ages of 6 to 17 were seated, without eyes, tongue, or arms. For this reason, the murderer used that peculiar sign, "Free hugs," as none of the corpses could give them.
On September 27th, 2022, X[8] user @uamemesforces posted a meme using the image that garnered over 13,900 likes in a year (shown below). On November 7th, the TERRIFYING TALES WordPress[9] blog published a creepypasta similar to the Facebook post by Stories, Terror and more inspired by the photo.
On January 23rd, 2023, TikToker[10] @clueless_person0 posted a meme about the bunker, garnering over a million views in eight months (shown below, left). On February 18th, TikToker[11] @mr.42stories posted a video telling a fake, alleged backstory behind the photograph, garnering over 1.2 million views in seven months (shown below, right).
@clueless_person0 #CapCut #freehugs ♬ Deep sound – 🌌 ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎🪐
@mr.42stories the terrifying story of free hugs #fyp #foryourpage #scary #england ♬ El Payaso Asesino – Luisa Miedo
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[2] Facebook – DIEJUNGSvonYT
[3] Reddit – iWannaLoveU
[4] Google Maps – Free Hugs Location
[5] X – Reverend_Scott
[6] Tumblr – dankmemeuniversity
[7] Facebook – Stories, Terror
[8] X – uamemesforces
[9] WordPress – terrifyingtales19
[10] TikTok – clueless_person0
[11] TikTok – mr.42stories
