![]() It is a testament to how creative Howard was throughout his life. Note: Photography is phohibited inside the Castle. He’d collect all the “donations” and use them in the castle’s main building or the sculptures or art inside Solomon’s Castle in Florida. Other than that, it’s entirely his handiwork.Īs he was gathering the materials, he told the farmers in the area that he would be willing to take their junk and trash off of their hands, and they just began throwing a bin full of it over Howard’s gate. He only needed any help when he had to lay down the castle’s electrical work to ensure that he did everything safely. It’s even more surprising considering Howard built the entire thing himself. Solomon’s castle is massive, with around 12000 square feet of covered space. ![]() Solomon’s castle is located at 4533 Solomon Rd, Ona, FL 33865 Inside Solomon’s Castle I am sure Howard would correct me, but these designs remind me of steampunk. You’ll see everything from giraffes created out of coat hangers, elephants and lions made out of oil drums, and a cast collection of what I call steampunk figurines. His art collection is as impressive as the castle itself. He wasn’t anticipating that he’d make something he’d end up living in, which adds to the uniqueness and spontaneity of the castle overall. He wanted to be peaceful where he could create art and relax. ![]() Even though the castle looks like it was someone’s entire life’s work, it was simply his retirement project for Howard. Howard Solomon was a man with an overactive imagination and the willpower to bring any idea to life. I will call him “The Peter Pan of Perspective” – a man who lived as he wanted with a vivid ageless imagination. Some call him “The Rembrandt of Reclamation” and the “The Wizzard of Odds and Ends,” both fitting. Part of the Castle is still out of bounds off as the Solomon family lives on the main grounds. Although, most of the grounds are open for public viewing and tours to celebrate Howard’s creation. So far, four generations of the Solomons have lived in this legendary castle. The Solomon family moved into the castle right after Howard finished building it, and he lived in it until he passed away in 2016. He found most of the material in the surrounding area, and locals would drop off their unwanted items. Howard continued with the “reclaimed” theme, creating art using reclaimed materials. Once the castle was complete, his family moved out of the trailer they had been living in and into their castle. Over the next fifteen years, he spent every day working on the castle, despite everyone thinking there was no way he’ll be able to do it. They were selling them very cheap, and the ad Howard saw said that people could use them to make chicken coops, so he thought it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot and began building his castle from the ground up! If you peel off the plates, you can still see the newspaper printings from decades ago! Instead of using conventional building materials, he began building it using aluminum printing plates on sale because a newspaper company was going out of business. ![]() However, he didn’t go the traditional route. Howard had bought 40 acres of swampland in Florida in the 1970s and decided to build his castle. He was so good at sculpturing that he could build an entire castle. Howard Solomon, an artist, built this castle. It doesn’t have hundreds of years of history behind it, nor was it made for a king. Solomon’s “Castle” is no ordinary castle. ![]() Please read our disclosure and privacy policy for more information. The art is created from any discarded item that came his way and all by hand. Most impressively, it’s the materialization of one man’s lifelong love affair with art. Part art gallery, part home, and part workshop, a castle nonetheless. Nor did I know that this was his home and workshop. Little did I know that this castle is the structure that houses years and years of Howard Solomon’s artwork. When I peeked at the exterior, I knew I had to see this myself. Low and behold, Solomon’s Castle popped up. I often look at the map and zoom in and out to see what’s around. I recently stumbled on Solomon’s Castle while planning a “staycation” in Sarasota. Those who see or hear about this “castle” for the first time tend to have a lot of questions about it, and in this article, we will cover most of them! A Castle nestled in the Floridian wilderness is truly a “one of a kind” place to visit. Have you ever heard the term “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? Well, that couldn’t be more true with Solomon’s Castle. ![]()
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