Let me tell you about the time my wife casually turned a normal "drop our daughter off at college"…read moretrip into what felt like a deleted scene from a survival movie... destination: Solomon's Castle in the absolute middle of nowhere. And when I say nowhere, I mean NOWHERE. I'm driving waiting for streetlights... nothing. Gas stations? Nope. People? Questionable. Cows? Plenty. Motorcycles flying by like we accidentally entered a post-apocalyptic biker convention? Oh yeah. At this point, I'm looking at my wife like, Babé are we visiting a castle or auditioning for The Walking Dead: Florida Edition?" Then suddenly... BOOM. Out of nowhere... like a mirage built by a very creative pirate appears this shiny, aluminum-covered CASTLE. Now I'm confused. Because one minute I'm dodging cows... and the next minute I'm like: Did we just teleport to medieval times sponsored by Home Depot? But here's the thing this place is AMAZING. Inside? Pure genius. Art everywhere. Sculptures made out of stuff you probably threw away last week. It's like if creativity, humor, and a junkyard had a baby and that baby became a castle. And then there's the restaurant. Yes. A restaurant. Inside a boat. Inside a castle. In the middle of nowhere. At this point, I've stopped asking questions and just accepted that I'm in someone else's dream. If you want the backstory, go ahead and Google it because it's wild. But honestly, just go. Don't overthink it. Would I have ever planned this stop? Absolutely not. Did my wife once again prove she's the CEO of random but incredible detours? 100%. Final verdict: Unexpected Slightly suspicious drive in Completely worth it If you're ever near Ona, Florida--or even if you're not take the detour. Just make sure your gas tank is full... and maybe say a quick prayer once the streetlights disappear

On our drive from St Augustine to Tampa, we made reservations to see Solomon's Castle in the middle…read moreof nowhere on beautiful land here in Florida. This castle was built by Howard Solomon, a high school dropout, with his bare hands and his own designs with whatever scraps of metal he could find or that were donated to him by others. He had friends and neighbors who helped him build. He built vertically because his land was more narrow than wide. So there are stairs to climb. Everything including his unusual artwork inside the Castle was donated or built by Solomon. He also had a 1930s collection of cars and trucks that are displayed at the Castle. His personal story is very interesting which will be told during the tour. Visitors are not allowed to photograph the auto collection nor anything inside the Castle. There is no cell service/wifi there on the property. They do not use computers so everything is paid by cash: the tickets (we paid about $40 in cash for the castle tour and the classic car tour), the food, and souvenirs. They are dog-on-leash friendly, which is nice. The staff is very welcoming and fun to interact with! The tour is very interesting with funny jokes thrown in. Food is served on the boat and reviewers have been favorable about the meals offered. Remember, it is cash only. Parking is free and at the entrance before you get to the Castle. Wear comfortable shoes. I was happy that we got to do the tour. I don't know that I would go back because it is so out of the way but it was worth the trip.

A beautiful place! The museum is very well done-…read more Everything is so interesting! The grounds are so nice! We really enjoyed the guided tour- well worth the $$ and there is a nice self guided tour inside. I came with a group and we all thought it was well worth the cost! We stayed around a little longer to see all the plants and enjoy the grounds-

This historic site offers a unique glimpse into the lives and legacies of Thomas Edison and Henry…read moreFord, and how their friendship helped shape innovation in America. The estates have a large, free parking lot, and admission for the self-guided tour is $28 per person (guided tours are available for an additional fee). The self-guided option includes a QR code to download an app, which provides audio commentary at various stops along the tour. The grounds are beautifully maintained, and the tour begins on the opposite side of the estate, taking you through the property's historic homes and buildings. Each stop offers insight into the personal lives and groundbreaking work of Edison and Ford, and it's fascinating to see the spaces where they spent their winters together. One of the highlights for us was the museum. I knew Edison was an inventor, but I didn't fully realize the sheer number of inventions credited to him -- everything from the phonograph to an early voting machine. There's also a fascinating display showing the many versions of the lightbulb throughout history and how it evolved into what we know today. We spent quite a bit of time here, soaking in both the history and the scenery. Before leaving, we stopped by the gift shop, which had a fantastic selection of unique and thoughtful items. If you're looking for one-of-a-kind gifts -- especially for those hard-to-shop-for people -- this is a perfect place to pick something up. 3 stars is mostly for the price, $28 is pretty steep for a audio guide. Tours are more. Although I learned some new things it could have been $10-15 and it would easily be 5 stars but $56 for 2 people is a bit ridiculous since is self guided.

Since we've been visiting the Naples/Marco Island area for many years now, Nate and I have done a…read morelot of the tourist attractions like the zoo, botanical gardens, a few museums, etc. but somehow had never been to the Marco Island Historical Museum until our visit in March 2026. The museum is free to visit, and I was really impressed. We got an overview when we entered and learned a lot about the history of Marco Island and its residents, starting with the Calusa period (pre 1700s). The history is fascinating and although some of it was a little washed over, I think most of it was well done in terms of honoring the native people of the area. There was a rotating exhibit while we visited about the evolution of transportation that happened throughout the island's history, which included ships, airplanes (Marco Island Airways operated in the 70s and 80s, trains, and automobiles. The other exhibits were packed with lots of information and artifacts which were very cool to see. The displays were nicely done with lots of great visuals. I especially enjoyed learning about the Mackle brothers, who had a large part in developing the island. They also had the famous Key Marco Cat on display, which was discovered in 1896 and was perfectly preserved in an oxygen-free bog. It is currently on loan to the Marco Island Historical Museum but is returning to the Smithsonian in April 2026. I'm glad we got to see this unique icon, especially as a cat lover. If you're interested in history, I highly recommend visiting this museum.

This was a fantastic way to spend a windy, chilly morning on Marco Island. This museum is…read morecertainly cherished by all who live here. What a gem of so well put together and maintained. No cost to get in either (donations accepted and appreciated). My husband and I learned so much about the history of Marco island as well as the development of the island. Fascinating stuff!

My two year old had such a blast. As a mom I had just as much fun watching him. We live in Miami so…read morewe were visiting and I happen to look for place to take him and I'm so glad this came up. I will say this is based on downstairs and outside because the upstairs was not open. Be sure to check their website or call for info. I can't wait to be back in the area so we can go back

The employees were very helpful. The price was at a good…read morerate. My son was able to explore and have enjoy himself exploring every angel of this museum. You'll kids will have a blast

Tony and I went to Chokoloskee Island to the Historical Smallwood Store! It's now a museum adults…read moreonly $5. The water has a brackish reddish brown tint from the Red Mangrove. It also has a sulphury smell! It's very pretty down here! We also stopped in Everglade City FL.

I've seen the signs on Alligator Alley many times so I finally decided to stop. Smallwoods is an…read moreold Florida store and museum. It is an old Indian trading post with original fixtures and a huge amount of items from books, newspapers, sewing goods, dishes and everything else imaginable. There is a great water view out the back door of the store. It is built up on stilts. There is a $5 entry. The store sells all sorts of souvenirs. We spent under an hour browsing the museum.

I want to give the lighthouse a "5", but two things nearly ruin it for me.... the pervasive and…read morelarge chain link fence that obstructively surrounds the lighthouse making it impossible to take a photo without it, and the massive plastic boardwalk that is... well... truly massive, and basically ruins the scenic view of the lighthouse and any view of the gulf coast beach from the lighthouse. Whomever the landed and built this eyesore was clearly not focused on preserving the historic integrity of the site. I'm is a scenic spot, a unique building with a history that dares back to 1880... and, despite the negative aspects I noted above, well worth a visit.

Boca Grande Light House is beautiful. The park has a great view and beach. The water is…read morebeautiful. The Light is well preserved and is a great place to visit. I love light houses and this is most definitely a must see. The vegitation around the light is also fascinating. Flowers and sea grapes and the dune grasses make for great images. The only thing that was a draw back for me - was you can not climb the stairs up to see the light lens. I posted photos from my visit here.

Finally made it to the Mound House, a historic museum in Fort Meyers…read more Located on top of the hill, near the water, the house is a nice museum that you can visit in an hour or so and learn about the Calusa tribe, how they survived in the area, Florida's history and the tale of the house that was built on a shell. The house is the oldest in the area and was sold to the Koreshan cult at some point and they sold it again to other owners. The museum is small, a few rooms, but it has great information listed and lots of artifacts on display. They have a video running on the first floor and a nice terrace upstairs among other rooms with their permanent exhibits. I was disappointed that the underground excavation room was closed due to flooding. But I enjoyed the grounds, walking around the water, the piers, seeing blue herons, pelicans, osprey nest, iguana-s, etc. Great area with picnic tables for a lunch outdoors. You can fish on the pier or bring a book and sit on a bench and enjoy the views of the bay. $10 admission, open Tuesday - Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. No tours the day we went on a Saturday. No boat tours or kayak tours either. Nice souvenir shop, we got some kitchen ware, ornaments, nice souvenirs. Lots to learn about the area, nice grounds near the water, beautiful views and lots of bird watching! Very relaxing!

We went at a slow time in mid-February - and didn't have a guided tour. We did watch a 25-minute…read moremovie on the history of Fort Myers Beach from the Calusa years to about the late 1990s - with really good interviews from elderly (in the 1990s) residents who'd lived there their entire life. The actual house has many exhibits showing life before the Europeans took over - with explanations and artifacts. Outside, the grounds have signs about the area, the vegetation, and the history of the house. About 1/2-mile walk to see it all. All-in-all between the movie, the house, and the grounds - we spent about an hour and a half here. There's a small gift shop. And... good views across the water.