Solomon's Castle
By THERESA WILLINGHAM
Published April 13, 2005
The scoop: Solomon's Castle, ostensibly in the middle of nowhere, rises in a glitter of silver and glass from the swamps of Horse Creek, providing a surprise of art, fun and good food.
Why go? Solomon's Castle is more than the sum of the aluminum glare of its parts, providing an equal measure of artistic whimsy and stand-up comedy. A castle tour is an endless litany of one-liners framing a fantastic collection of art depicting how sculptor Howard Solomon carved both an imagination and a living out of the swamp.
Time stamp: We arrived about 10:30 a.m. on a Saturday, after a long drive along winding empty roads bordering fields still littered with twisted metal from last summer's hurricanes. We were wondering how anyone ever found this place -- only to find that there were already cars in the parking lot when we arrived, and more arriving by the minute. Before long, we discovered why.
Field report: Solomon's Castle is a wild and wonderful hoot! From the moment we got out of the car we played a sort of "I Spy" game, spotting bizarre metal birds made of shovels and rakes hanging from trees and a garden statue mosquito poised over a cannon. Solomon himself presided at the entrance and hosted our group's tour.
The tour lasted 30 or 40 minutes and consisted of following Solomon through a series of private galleries full of a mindboggling collection of sculptures, while he spun out groaner after groaner. A wooden sculpture of a train with a clock in it was "a clock on time." A metal bust of an Egyptian woman was "Cleopatra in denial" (De Nile, get it?). A large window with a collection of cameras on the sill was a "picture window."
Everything in the galleries, explained Solomon, was made of recycled materials. Gears, cogs, chains, auto parts, scraps of tile and glass all coalesced in Solomon's vivid imagination into madcap machines and a menagerie of remarkable creatures. Among our favorite sculptures was a snarling metal lion that seemed ready to leap off its pedestal.
The tour ended all too soon, but by then we were ready for lunch and enjoyed a meal on the Boat in the Moat, which replicates a 16th century Spanish galleon with beautiful stained-glass windows. Solomon's latest project, a lighthouse, overlooks the dining area. The food was good, too.
Upon further review: Solomon's Castle offered a great day of fun and entertainment. There was a lot to see, even after the tour, on the grounds around the castle. Food was moderately priced, and service was prompt and efficient. For those looking for an unusual place to stay, the castle also provides a "Blue Moon Suite" bed and breakfast experience.
Do it again? It's unlikely I'll find myself in Ona very often, but it's certainly a fun place to take visitors.
Get there
4533 Solomon Road, Ona; 863 494-6077; www.solomonscastle.com.
Hours: Tours daily 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Mondays and all of July, August and September.
Admission: Adults, $10 including tax; children under 12, $4. Special rates and times available to groups, but credit cards are not accepted.
Directions: It's about an hour and a half from the bay area. Take I-75 south to Exit 42, State Road 64 (Bradenton/Wauchula/Zolfo Springs). Turn left on SR 64 and go east to Count Road 665, turn right and continue south to State Highway 655. Turn left and continue north for about 100 feet, then bear right on Solomon Road and go northeast for 0.4 miles to Solomon's Castle.