Howard Solomon likes his isolated Kingdom. In 1974 he bought the piece of swampland in Ona and set up his castle. Nine months out of the year he and his wife give tours of their Camelot and to say they are puny, would be putting it mildly. The pun just never stops.

Solomon is an artist, sculpture and all around eccentric kind of guy. His skills include those of electricians, welders, carpenters and plumbers. His wife tells our tour group that he possesses over 125 skills. I count about twelve as we continue through the rooms.

As visitors who actually found the place are shown around, more emphasis seems placed on making fun of the Solomon's creations rather than praising what looks to be pain staking endeavors.

"Jeb The Bushman" is made from oil drums. Shells serve as toenails.

When you enter the living room of the castle you'll notice a pile of cameras on a sill in the couples front window. This is the picture window. Hanging on a wall in another room is a train assemblage with clocks for wheels. This is a train that always runs on time.

For over half of an hour the dry humor never dampens. Well, that is until a trap door is lifted in front of their TV and the whiff of soggy swamp rushes in. Even outside you will notice a carefully placed sign from a Rooms To Go store over a series of outhouses that serve as the museums facilities.

His wife points out how very little ever goes to waste. Empty cans are transformed into life size animals. Wooden matches are made into wall mounted montages. Even his old tools are reincarnated into jokes of art.

Material is salvaged from a variety of sources including old cars and demolished hotels. The outside of the castle reflects his picking as newspaper printing press plates serve as shiny siding.

The boat in a shrinking moat

His most ambitious work sits along side his kingdom. Hand built from scrap wood by him alone is a sixty-foot replica of a Spanish Galleon. It serves as the attractions restaurant. Called the "Boat in the Moat" it looks run ashore due to recent extreme drought conditions. The moats resident gator gazes up rather pathetically as his home slowly shrinks around him.

The "Boat in the Moat" is your point of departure after a voyage through the castle. It is a chance to turn belly laughs into belly fulls.

If you have ever dreamed about living like a king, Solomon's courteous court staff can arrange it. For a hundred bucks a night you can be set up in the castle's "Blue Room". Your royal treatment includes a picturesque deck view of the moat.

When you consider Solomon's income is financed by tours of his house, and he only works at it nine months out of the year, you could say his swampland turned out to be a gold mine.

UPDATE 7/01:
Solomon wants to step down from the thrown. In July, 2001 Martin Realty had placed the castle on eBay with bids starting at a mere $2,500,000.

Solomon's Castle
4533 Solomon Rd.
Ona, FL