This wasn’t the naked truth.
A prankster posted a fake sign on a popular Chicago beach over the holiday weekend warning that it was suddenly converted into a nudist park.
The counterfeit Parks District sign reading “Nude Beach Past This Sign” was seen wedged in the sand of Loyola Beach, which is less than a mile away from its eponymous Catholic university in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
City Alderwoman Maria Hadden posted a picture of the official-looking sign Monday, warning beachgoers not to bare it all for Labor Day.
“We’ve been notified that someone has installed this cheeky sign at Loyola Beach. Please note that this is not an official @ChicagoParks sign,” Hadden posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We’ve reported to Parks so they can remove it. As a reminder, at least some clothing is required at all of our beaches.”
Luckily, it doesn’t appear anyone fell for the naked ruse — Chicago Police did not have a report regarding the prank.
Though the hoax was likely just for giggles, it actually had some roots in local history.
According to Hadden, one of her 49th Ward predecessors introduced a 1932 resolution vying to create a nude sunbathing beach at the very same location — just two years before it became the plot known as Loyola Beach.
George A. Williston’s proposal was hedged to appease men and women who have “sniffed at the carryings on of nudist cults in Germany and elsewhere in Europe,” according to a Chicago Tribune clipping shared by the politician.
The proposed nudist beach would have been outfitted with tall facilities that would obstruct nearby buildings from viewing the naked beachgoers and would have separate spaces for men and women.
The nudist colony would also have a spokesman designated by the city, who would also be in charge of inspecting the beach’s facility for knotholes in the wood.
