How to find the Bunnyman Bridge – Fairfax County, Virginia
The Bunnyman Bridge is a local urban legend in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA. I’m currently living in this area and somehow I came across this spooky ‘mystery’. The legend itself is a bit confusing and varies depending on who you ask — over the years, this legend has been passed down, and with each iteration, people add their own flair to the story. Because I found this fascinating, I had to take a drive over to the Bunnyman Bridge (aka Colchester Overpass) and check it out myself. So if you’re curious about this supposedly haunted spot, I’ll give you everything you need to know if you’d like to check out this urban legend for yourself.
What is the Bunnyman Bridge Urban Legend?
Like mentioned above, this urban legend is a bit confusing, especially for an ‘interloper’ like me, who didn’t grow up here and is only living in the area temporarily. Different versions of the story include sightings of a man wearing a bunny costume who supposedly attacks people with an axe or a hatchet. Despite being largely considered a myth or urban legend, the Bunnyman Bridge has become a popular spot for both ghost hunters and bored teenagers on Halloween night. However, there is no substantial evidence supporting the existence of an axe-swinging dude in a rabbit costume or any violent events occurring at the bridge.
Some versions of this legend is similar to Bloody Mary. They say that if you visit Colchster Overpass/Bunny Man Bridge on Halloween night and say “Bunny Man” three times as the clock strikes midnight, that Mr. Bunny Man himself will appear.
And one more version claims that during an asylum transport, their van crashed and the inmates escaped. Later, during a search of the area, police found carcasses of dead rabbits hanging from the trees near Colchester Overpass.
And that’s just a few of the urban legend versions! Either way, they’re all pretty creepy.
Where is the Bunnyman Bridge?
The Colchester Overpass (aka Bunnyman Bridge) is located near Clifton, Virginia. It’s a real bridge, it’s unassuming, with nothing visually interesting about it at all. For reference, it’s about a 40 minute drive to the Bunnyman Bridge from DCA Ronald Reagan National Airport.
My Experience at the Bunnyman Bridge
I drove out here on a Saturday afternoon because I had nothing better to do and I was curious about this spot. I wasn’t expecting much.
When you’re out in this area, you kind of forget that you’re still in the DC Metro area — it’s heavily wooded and feels so rural when you make the drive out here, yet you’re still in heavily-populated Fairfax County. It’s a nice drive!
When you reach the Colchester Overpass/Bunny Man bridge, you’ll find that it’s a one-lane road in a rural area. There is no shoulder to park on and I kind of got the feeling like I shouldn’t be out here. If you drive across the tunnel, it’s a dead end.
I could see how this would be creepier at night, but during the day, there’s nothing scary about it, it’s just an old railroad bridge. I didn’t experience anything paranormal or weird, I just felt like I should GTFO and hurry up because there was no place to park my car to take photos; I had to leave the car running, jump out, snap my pics and get going.
I didn’t drive under the bridge – it’s very narrow and the road dead ends. I just turned around.
Is it worth visiting the Bunnyman Bridge?
In short, no. If you’re out here in the DC area on a vacation, this is not a spot to put on your itinerary unless you’re really into ghost hunting (even then, I don’t think you’re going to find anything!). If you plan on going here on Halloween, just be aware that local police patrol this area and may ask you to leave. FAFO, right? Also keep in mind that the train tracks on the bridge are still very much active – you need to be extremely careful in this area!
Have you visited the Bunny Man bridge? Any paranormal encounters? Let me know in the comments!
