In the heart of a Florida swamp, visitors can explore this whimsical, metal-plated castle

ONA, Fla. - Visitors of Solomon's Castle may think this quirky castle, covered in metal plates, is in the middle of nowhere, but the family behind the creative destination says otherwise.

"People tell us all the time, 'Oh my gosh you're in the middle of nowhere," said Alane Solomon, "but I tell them, 'We're in the middle of everywhere.'"

Solomon's Castle, which sits in the middle of a swamp in Ona, Florida, is about an hour from Lakeland, Bradenton and Fort Myers. It's a tourist attraction that features a guided tour of an art gallery inside the castle, a restaurant and nature walks. 

But the idea behind the shiny, silver castle was formed by Howard Solomon. He didn't sketch anything out, his family says. All he needed was his imagination.

Howard purchased 90 acres of swampland in Ona back in 1970. His daughter, Alane, said he was an internationally-known sculptor.

"It's his largest piece of work, his largest sculpting," she explained. "It's covered with aluminum printing plates that he got from a local newspaper. He saw a little ad advertising aluminum printing plates for sale, 25 cents apiece, and that it was great to cover your chicken coop or whatnot with."

She said he ventured over to see the plates, and thought it would be perfect to cover his castle. The stain glass windows were also crafted by Howard, she said.

Some of the windows depict the nine planets in the solar system. Another tower's windows includes nursery rhymes, while another describes virtues or keys to happiness, Alane said.

"He always had a theme or a pun or a funny story to go with all of this artwork," she said.

The first floor of Solomon's Castle contains his artwork, all made from recycled materials. 

In 2016, Howard passed away at the age of 81, but Alane has since taken over the estate. His last handmade piece was a 10-foot-long turn of the century locomotive.

Howard Solomon

On property, there is also the Boat in the Moat restaurant, which sits in an actual moat. There are also nature trails. It's free to park and roam around the grounds. 

"Those are two big pluses. A lot of places charge for both of those," Alane said. 

There is a fee to enter the castle and take a guided tour. 

"Typically, we let people know they need to spend at least three hours here," Alane said. "Of course, you can spend all day if you come with friends or you want to sit around and visit while you have lunch or take a couple of little walks. So, come out and visit us at Solomon's Castle. It's a unique experience that you won't have anywhere else."

To learn more about Solomon's Castle and their visiting hours, click here.