The Most Famous Places on Earth That Aren’t Actually Real

Ong’s Hat

What may be left of Ong’s Hat (Hut) would be found in the forest of New Jersey. Chances are, though, that nothing left of the ruins exist. The fictional place certainly doesn’t leave behind ruins and ranks as one of the most interesting places that don’t exist by legend alone.©iStock.com/Terryfic3D

Tucked into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, Ong’s Hat may be found on actual maps from the early days of the region. The small town finds naming on maps but most likely, it was merely the site where Ong (presumed a farmer) parked in a hut (Ong’s hut) on regular long journeys to and from market. As late as the 1930s, Ong’s Hat appeared on maps but nothing could be found to evidence the place every existed, save the ruins of one single hut in the middle of the forest.

It wasn’t until the 1980s when strange tales emerged on various bullet board services and magazines of conspiracy theorists that people thought about the place again. The publications detailed elaborate conspiracies involving mystics and scientists breaking through to another realm via Ong’s Hat. The tales arose from the novel “Incunabula Papers: Ong’s Hat and Other Gateways to New Dimensions.” Author Joseph Matheny probably didn’t anticipate his fictional tales would lead to theorists believing every word until the 2000s, seeking answers of the “truth.”

If you find one of the outdates maps from the 1930s or earlier, you may well be able to pop over to the ruins with your drone. Or visit Google and find the Ong’s Hat Parking area at the Batona Trail and hike out.