How did a 7-ton statue of Vladimir Lenin—a symbol of Soviet communism—end up in Seattle’s artsy, free-spirited Fremont neighborhood? In this listener-requested episode, Shea and Jody uncover the bizarre journey of Fremont’s Lenin statue, from a scrapyard in post-Communist Europe to its quirky life as a holiday-themed, drag-clad Seattle oddity.

They dive into the statue's Cold War origins, the eccentric American who brought it to the U.S., and the ongoing debate: Is it art, satire, or an accidental shrine to tyranny? Expect laughter, social commentary, wild hypotheticals, and a heartfelt nod to Fremont’s fading weirdness.

📍 Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Summer Silly Season

02:15 – Listener Request from Brian of Spirits and Monsters of Old Seattle

03:20 – Who Sculpted Lenin (and Why It Took 10 Years)

06:05 – From Poprad to the Scrapyard: Lenin's Fall

09:25 – Enter Lou Carpenter: The English Teacher Who Bought Lenin

13:55 – Issaquah Says “Nope”

15:10 – A Tragic Car Crash and a Statue with No Home

18:40 – Fremont to the Rescue

21:10 – Yes, It’s Still For Sale (for $300,000!)

23:30 – Dressing Lenin: From Jack-o’-Lanterns to Drag

26:45 – Art or Offense? Slavic Americans Weigh In

29:15 – When the Mayor Got Involved

32:40 – Can You Mock History Without Glorifying It?

35:00 – Final Thoughts: Quirky Art, Political Satire, or Both?

37:00 – Patreon Shoutouts, Sexy Bigfoot, and Thank Yous

🔗 Links

🌐 Website: www.rainydayarabbitholes.com

💰 Support the show: www.rainydayarabbitholes.com/support

🎧 Bonus Content & Merch: Patreon

Normally, this kind of jaw-dropping rabbit hole is reserved just for our Patreon supporters—but today, we’re unlocking it for everyone.

In 1968, Irishman Mick Meaney decided to let himself be buried alive for 61 days in a Guinness record stunt that captured international attention…and caused his pregnant wife to find out via the radio. In this bonus episode, Shea welcomes special guest Kevin Ryan, host of Tyrant in Training Podcast and a fellow member of our Umbrella Podcast Collective, to explore:

🎧 This is the kind of fascinating, darkly funny story our Patreon supporters get access to every month. If you enjoy it, we’d love to have you join the community!

💸 Special Offer:

Get 20% off your first month on Patreon through the end of July with promo code SUMMERFUN20.

Unlock more bonus episodes, early access, and exclusive content:

👉 rainydayrabbitholes.com/support

🎙️ About Our Guest:

Kevin Ryan is the host of Tyrant in Training Podcast, where he dives into the strange and the sinister side of history.

🌐 Learn more at tyrantpod.com

Rainy Day Rabbit Holes: Silly Summer Season — Napoleon vs. The Bunny Apocalypse

In this episode, we travel back to 1807, when Napoleon Bonaparte, the conqueror of Europe and master tactician, faced the most humiliating defeat of his career — at the paws of a swarm of ravenous rabbits. We explore how a grand hunting party meant to celebrate his triumph turned into slapstick chaos, why the bunnies charged, and whether this story was an elaborate piece of historical trolling.

Topics Covered:

Resources & Further Reading:

History Unhinged: Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is the podcast that makes history wild, weird, and unforgettable. Join hosts Jody and Shea as they dig into outrageous true stories, haunted places, bizarre disasters, and scandals from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With unfiltered humor and a love of storytelling, each episode brings you the fascinating tales you never learned in school. Perfect for anyone who enjoys history, true crime, and a good laugh along the way.

He vanished in a beam of light. When he came back, he said he’d been taken aboard a UFO. And that was just the beginning.


In 1975, 22-year-old logger Travis Walton disappeared without a trace after a terrifying encounter with a UFO in the forests near Snowflake, Arizona. When he reappeared five days later, confused and frightened, he claimed he'd been taken aboard an alien craft. Was it the most credible alien abduction in U.S. history? Or an elaborate hoax designed to escape a failed logging contract?

This week, Shea is joined by her brother Jason—recording on location in Arizona—to explore the infamous Travis Walton incident. We break down what happened on that strange November night along the Mogollon Rim, dig into Travis’s vivid and chilling account of his time aboard the ship, and examine how the story inspired the nightmare-fuel film Fire in the Sky. We also look at how Walton has turned this event into a career, and why even some UFO believers think the whole thing might’ve been staged. 

👽 Buckle up. It’s gonna get weird in the woods.

🎙 Support the show, get bonus content, early access, and more at
👉 www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/support
Use code SUMMEROFSAUCERS for 15% off your first month—through June 25 only!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes--6271663/support.

In this final installment of our three-part conversation with filmmaker, lawyer, and legend-level storyteller Steve Edmiston, we’re diving deep into the most unhinged festival in the Pacific Northwest: the Men In Black Birthday Bash!

We cover:

👽 The wild origin story of the bash

🐶 The heroic tale of Sparky the Dog and the upcoming disc dog tournament

👑 Drag queens, trivia, and SNL-worthy cosplay

🎟️ All the details you need to show up and how to win FREE tickets and exclusive swag!

This episode is part party preview, part UFO-lore love letter, and part official field guide for all things MIBBBFest. If you’re into aliens, oddities, or just need an excuse to dress in all black and scream-laugh at a trivia night — this one’s for you.

🎁 GIVEAWAY INFO:

We’re giving away:

• 2 pairs of tickets to the Maury Island Incident screening + Drag Queen Trivia on June 20
• 2 pairs of tickets to the MIBBB Main Event on June 21
• 2 MIBBB swag bags full of exclusive alien-approved goodies

🕛 Deadline: Midnight, June 13!

➡️ Enter all three at rainydayrabbitholes.com 🎧 Listen now!

🔗 Full event info: https://mibbbfest.squarespace.com/