(WHY) are there so many White Squirrel Illinois ?

“Think like a white squirrel.”

This is not a phrase I had ever imagined using, but it popped into my head around 8 am, after I’d already been on the prowl for a good hour. I was in Olney, a city of 9,000 in southeastern Illinois famous for its albino squirrels that roam the parks and neighborhoods.

I knew there were roughly 100 white squirrels in town – Olney conducts an annual survey in which volunteer residents canvas the streets together to get an accurate tally – but I also knew that it was sometimes difficult to find them. They tend to be active during sunrise, so I left the hotel early to drive around town and check things out.

And I wasn’t having any luck. “Where would I be if I was a white squirrel?,” I asked myself. Eventually, most likely through sheer dumb luck rather than any superior tactical planning on my part, I happened upon one of the famous squirrels and observed it in its natural habitat.

Miller’s Grove was a strikeout on this day, so it was back to driving through the residential streets. As I continued my search, I was taunted by all the signs around town celebrating the squirrels. There were squirrel crossing signs, squirrel logos on police and municipal vehicles, and squirrels on business storefronts.



Tributes to the albino squirrels in Olney
Nobody knows for sure how the white squirrels came to Olney. The curious can check out the city’s official website for the entire backstory. A lot of tourists come to Olney specifically to see the albino squirrels, especially when passing through on road trips. Olney is conveniently located within a few hours’ driving distance of St. Louis, Louisville, and Indianapolis.

If you make it to Olney (perhaps for their 175th anniversary next summer?), stop into the White Squirrel Shoppe, which offers a wide range of squirrel-related gifts, including socks, wine bottle holders, playing cards, stuffed animals, figurines, and Christmas ornaments.