Robert Gruenenwald, better known as Tunnel Bob, is a resident of
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County, Wisconsin, Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin b ...
who allegedly lives in the steam tunnels under the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
. He had said prior to 2008 that he has been exploring the tunnels since the 1970s and has asked for permission to volunteer to help maintain the tunnels but has been denied. Bob denies sleeping in the tunnels due to danger, stating that "you might wake up dead."
There are rumors that Tunnel Bob has a dungeon in the tunnel system but that is still unconfirmed. He has been cited and fined multiple times for "unauthorized presence". He is currently banned from several UW-Madison properties.
Tunnel Bob was the inspiration for ''
The Kingkiller Chronicle
''The Kingkiller Chronicle'' is a fantasy trilogy by the American writer Patrick Rothfuss. The first two books, '' The Name of the Wind'' and '' The Wise Man's Fear'', were released in 2007 and 2011. The books released in the series have sold ov ...
'' character
Auri. Author
Patrick Rothfuss
Patrick James Rothfuss (born June 6, 1973) is an American author. He is best known for his duology ''The Kingkiller Chronicle'', which has won him several awards, including the 2007 Quill Award for his debut novel, '' The Name of the Wind''. Its ...
was a resident of Madison, and his father told him stories of Tunnel Bob. According to Rothfuss, Rothfuss' father gave Tunnel Bob permission to work in the tunnels for three hours a week, which was used as part of the persona of Auri: "Well, the first hour I walks around a bit, and the second hour I cleans up some, and the third hour, well, that's just for me."
References
External links
A tour of the tunnels with Tunnel Bob
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Madison, Wisconsin
Culture of Madison, Wisconsin
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